


Tales of a Dragon, a Thief, a Swordswoman, and a Demoness

by JDTheGodOfSalt



Category: Soul Calibur
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:02:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 25,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26864101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JDTheGodOfSalt/pseuds/JDTheGodOfSalt
Summary: After being sent back to the beginning of SC 1, Xan and Kin travel to destroy Soul Edge to prevent Angol Fear from destroying Earth. Along the way they meet a pre-psychotic Shura, and a female Manjitou. Follow this new tale of Souls and Swords!
Comments: 3





	1. Resurrection

Edgemaster and I venture inside the Grand Labyrinth, an intricate place, I'll say. Not as interesting to view as a Clock Tower, but it's definitely up there. With nothing but a torch and the air's thickness decreasing, we head deeper into this increasingly frigid location.  
"Say, Edgemaster. Where are we headed?"  
Xan "Dragon" "Spectre" Shio  
After slaying Abyss, Xan, along with Baba, Kin, Taki, Shun, and Aeon's help, decided to turn himself in for the crimes he committed. He already viewed himself as a dead man walking and began to face his fate.  
What he didn't expect was Toyotomi, and Nene to travel throughout Japan, and tell every Daimyo, and Shogun of every city what really happened when he killed the Shogun of Kyoto. When he returned, instead of being tried for first-degree murder and shunned by the entire town, they welcomed him as a hero.  
Who would've thought that slaying the most hated political figure in Japan would merit forgiveness?  
What lies in his soul is Persistence.  
"All will be explained shortly, Xan. Just bear with me."  
We continue our trek in the Grand Labyrinth, and after what felt like an eternity, we reach our final destination. A sole platform with an oddity of a being meditating in the middle of it.  
"So you finally returned, old man? You took your sweet time!"  
"Sorry, Olcadan. Xan was hard to find."  
"You're the Dragon? The Old Man told me of you! Very sweet of you to destroy Abyss for us! Saved us many years of work! Name's Olcadan!"  
This guy had an Owl's head and feet, both hands practically talons. The look on his face read my disposition. "You're thinking about my face... Long story short, this is what happens when your ego swells your head too much. I'll leave it at that."  
"Noted. So, Edgemaster. Care to tell me why you brought me down here?"  
"You didn't tell him, Old Man? You just love leaving your pupils in the dark."  
"I wanted to wait until we made it here first, Olcadan. Stop leaving negative images of me in my student's head."  
"Can Someone tell me what's going on?"  
The two Edgemasters stopped their bickering. "Right. Come meditate with us."  
We all sit down on the platform and begin our meditation. Instantly, we're all transported to Purgatory, the realm between the waking world and Astral Chaos. IE, the land of Edgemasters.  
"Impressive! To think you can arrive here at such a young age! You've been training him well, Old Man!"  
"I must admit, it wasn't my entire doing. Xan is a fast learner, and with my guidance, he has already mastered the spiritual aspect of an Edgemaster. Though he refuses to master every weapon known to man, he did become a master of the techniques he uses to truly become worthy of the title Edgemaster."  
"I can see! I was around 34 when I reached Purgatory through meditation. How old are you, Xan?"  
"20. The styles I mastered are that of the original Chinese Sword, Lai, and my own style made from the supernatural abilities exposure that the Soul Swords granted me. Not to mention a Berserker's aggression in just the right spots."  
"Outstanding! If they weren't more pressing matters at hand, I'd like a duel, Little Edgemaster!"  
"Stop embarrassing him, Olcadan. He's a fighting prodigy. We worked hard to make sure he never swells his head, unlike you. Just tell him why he's here."  
"Right. Has Edgemaster ever told you of a celestial being by the name of Angol Fear?"  
"No, he hasn't."  
We both stare at Edgemaster. "Jeez, has old age really caught up to you, Old Man?"  
"I did not want to involve Xan in our mess, in all honesty."  
"Well, it's too late for regret now," Olcadan said, scolding Edgemaster.  
"Angol Fear is an other-worldly being tasked with judging the Earth and its denizens. If the planet doesn't pass, she destroys it by asking all Edgemasters to engage in combat. To say that she's a formidable adversary would be the understatement of the millennium. She may hold back considerably but enjoys combat a great deal."  
"She was just here a few days ago. We passed her test yet again, but she told us something that chilled us both to our cores."  
"That if we do this again in a century, we will lose."  
"In other words... Earth is doomed? I'm not going to live for 100 years."  
"We know this. In fact, even with our harshest training, I doubt our chances are good."  
"So what? You invited me here to let me be the first to know?"  
"No. Despite her harsh judgments, she cares for the planet a great deal and has become very friendly with us. So much so that she gave us an alternative in stopping her judgemental visits."  
"Great! What is it?"  
"She started arriving here after Soul Edge was created, using the weapon's creation as a reason to start judging the planet. Even the creation of Soul Calibur wasn't enough for her to forgive. After the battle and her telling us of our fate, we mentioned you and your actions of slaying Abyss, helping Katti seal the Swords, purifying Elysium, everything."  
I stare at Edgemaster as he continued his explanation.  
"She expressed genuine concern for your mental health, at first. We realized that was her first attempt at humor and briefly found it funny. After emphasizing that what we mentioned was was the truth, the jokes truly ended. She then explained a plan that, if done correctly, would allow her to forgive Earth for Soul Edge's creation. And she handed us this."  
He pulled out a Blue Stone possessing a similar aura as a Dvapara Yuga fragment.  
"What is this?"  
"She called it a Time Stone. The plan is to have someone, preferably you, go four years into the past and destroy Soul Edge. Do this, and she'll forgive us."  
"Whoa. This is a lot to take in. I'm to do this alone?"  
"You are allowed one companion. However, I think you'll be more than enough considering your strength. Can you think of anyone who'd go with you?"  
I immediately think of the group. Shun and Kalina (Resurrected, thanks to Clair, and a bunch of Holy Stone fragments) are expecting twin girls, so they're out. Baba was recently wedded to her childhood sweetheart as well as publishing her book that became an instant a best seller. Kin and Taki recently got married, and if I even ask Kin to join, Taki won't hesitate to kill me. Sophitia and Cassandra don't deserve more conflict than what we dealt with, especially with Tira. Finally, Amy is currently living peacefully with Mother. Unfortunately, I slowly shake my head.  
"Then I guess you will travel alone. Deepest apologies Dragon, but if you don't do this, then Earth's doomed."  
I sigh defeatedly. "Guess I have no choice. When do I leave?"  
"In two days. We suggest you say your goodbyes. Also, this is a one-way trip. You will not be able to return here when you leave. But in return, you'll replace yourself from those years ago."  
"At least I won't have to worry about screwing space-time."  
"Words cannot express our thanks, Xan."  
"As well as our apologies. If there were any other way, we would happily try it. But, we are certain that Angol Fear's method makes the most sense."  
"I understand. I'll go say my goodbyes to everyone. I'll meet you both at the entrance in two days." I say before exiting Purgatory and make my way out of the Grand Labyrinth.

Kyoto, Japan: Twenty minutes later  
The reason why he can travel in short periods is that each city of importance in the Soul Universe has a Portal to the Proving Grounds, the destination a middle ground.  
"You'll be leaving in two days, child?"  
Xan's mother, Mani, was known as the Demoness of Kyoto, a legendary duelist who never lost a match for her hand in marriage. As a result, she adopted Xan at a young age. She had a couple of fights in the original tale, most notably against Mitsurugi. After besting him, she announced her retirement and has been ever since.  
Amy, as the story went on, was Raphael's adopted daughter after she saved his life. After the time skip, she and Raphael became vampires due to Soul Edge infecting them. Over time, she grew to see Xan as an older brother figure. When the trio reunited in Romania, Xan cured her of her vampirism, thanks to a Holy Stone Fragment. At the Lost Cathedral, she defeated Raphael and gave him a mercy Killing so that he may finally rest in peace. Afterward, Xan brought her to Mani, who adopted her.  
"Yes, Mother. Edgemaster says that if I don't do it, Earth is as good as gone."  
"A shame. After all the work you've done to ensure the planet's safety. Now you're going back to a time where the work you and the others put in is all but reverted."  
"Are you sure that you can do it alone, big brother?"  
"I'm positive, Amy. Just make sure you live the rest of your life in happiness, ok?"  
Mother and Amy both start to shed tears. They pulled me in for a deep hug. "I'm so proud of you. You'll do great, I know you will!"  
"Thank you so much for everything, Big Brother. I'll miss you so much!"  
"I'll miss you both too."  
Tokyo: Ten minutes later  
Kin met Xan after getting separated temporarily from Kalina and Xan in China. At the time, he led a band of thieves. Shortly after meeting Xan, he disbanded the group before eliminating them all. Before Shun's defection, they were on and off travel partners before going their own shortly after meeting Raphael and Amy in Romania.  
Fast forward a year and a half, the pair reunited in Romania to inspect the disturbance of the castle. After the following scuffle with Raphael and Amy's purification, he joined the group. Over time, since Taki joined Xan and Baba shortly before, the pair started falling for each other and were wedded after Abyss' demise.  
"Yikes, Xan-kun. Talk about an unfortunate turn of events, huh?"  
"You can say that again. I leave in two days on a one-way trip."  
"You're not able to return? Man, that stinks."  
"I know. I can bring another, but I can't think of anyone."  
"You know I would, but ever since our marriage, Taki has been on me making sure I don't do anything to jeopardize our marriage."  
"It's alright, Kin. I wouldn't have asked you anyway. I know how Taki-senpai can be when angry. It's not really a pleasant sight."  
"Smart man, Dragon-chan," Taki stated as she walked in the main room. "I still can't believe that after all this work, I have to do more of it..."  
"It seems that you will never get rest now that we have beings like Angol Fear floating around. I wonder what Mitsurugi would think of it."  
"If our guess is the same, he'd probably go through hell and back to fight her, only to get demolished. Edgemaster stated that even with another, they barely stood a chance when she was holding back."  
"Yet he wouldn't really care. So, you'll be gone in two days, huh? Well, when you get to the past, I'm sure my past self would find you eventually after she takes an interest in what you're doing. I'm relentless like that."  
"That's reassuring, to an extent. Well, I'm going to head to China to tell Shun and Kalina. Bye, Kin. Bye, Taki-senpai."  
Kin shakes my hand and brings it in for a brief hug. Taki pulls me in for an unexpected hug.  
"Best of luck, Dragon-chan. I know you'll pull through."  
"Thanks. Goodbye."

Shanghai, China: Thirty minutes later  
Shanghai houses Shun and Kalina, the remaining two of the original trio of protagonists in the first version of this story. Back then, Zasalamel killed Kalina and, in turn, allowed Elysium to corrupt and defile Shun's mind, turning him to an antagonist. With Xan and Baba's help, they purified Elysium while Shun reverted back to normal. After the group destroyed Abyss, Kalina was resurrected. She is now pregnant with twins.  
"How unfortunate, Xan. After everything we did, it wasn't enough, apparently."  
"I know. Stinks to be me. And here I thought I can actually rest and enjoy life. Nope, here's another conflict that only you can fix. Sorry!"  
"You know, I can-"  
"No. You have two girls who need their Father. I'll do this alone. I have to, and it makes the most sense for me to do it this way."  
"Try telling that to Barbara. Considering how close you two are, she would probably tear through half of Europe to help you, even if it means she'll give up married life and her dreams of being a Best Selling Author."  
"No. Like you and Kalina, she does not need to come with me after she died, and you became possessed. No need to relive that risk despite our heightened awareness at the prospect." I say as we sit under the tree in the front yard.  
Kalina is currently asleep as being pregnant depletes a lot of her energy these days. When she told me this, I couldn't help but think that she hasn't changed since being resurrected.  
"If anyone can do it, it's most definitely you. After everything I went through, my psyche wouldn't be able to take it. Taki wouldn't let Kin do it, and Barbara would probably get herself killed in the process. I refuse to let Kalina handle potential psychological trauma anymore. So it really falls on you."  
"Damn my capabilities. If only I was a little experienced."  
"Indeed. You could've lived the rest of your life in blissful ignorance. Now, you're going to dive in head-first into another conflict with the swords."  
"Ugh. Well, I'm going to head to London to tell Baba and try convincing her to stay here."  
"Before you go, take this." He presents his weapon.  
"Your Shade? No, I can't."  
"You can, and you will. A memento of our first journey together those two years ago."  
He hands me his Shade. I put it around my neck. We stand up, and we hug it out. "I will pray for a safe journey. Best of luck, Xan-chan."  
"Thanks. Tell Kalina I said goodbye."  
"I will. Safe journeys."

London, England: Two hours later  
Barbara or Baba, the Barbarian  
A former gladiator turned scholar; she joined Xan after Kalina died timed with Shun's defection. She traveled with Xan to learn more about the Soul Swords to write a book about them. As they traveled together, they became close, if not, best friends. Over time, she became protective of him and would be, along with Taki, his voice of reason whenever he stepped out of line.  
"Nope! I don't wanna hear it! I'm coming with you!"  
"Baba, relax. I can do it alone."  
"I don't give a shit! You can't leave your partner in crime and best friend after telling her that you'll be heading four years into the past on a one-way trip to destroy a weapon that we worked our asses off to seal off!"  
"What about your husband? What about your Book?"  
"At this point, I don't give a fuck, Spectre! I told your scrawny built ass before splitting off that I will always be there to help you no matter what! Don't tell me to break the promise I made to you after saving your ass from dying from the injuries that Abyss inflicted upon you! YOU OWE ME!" Baba yelled at me in her house.  
Luckily, her husband wasn't home, but I'm pretty sure the entire block could hear her.  
Baba started to break down in tears. "I made a promise to keep you safe and sound."  
"With who? This is the first time I ever heard of this promise."  
"Clair made me promise before leaving with Katti for Astral Chaos. She told me alone because I'm the one who cares for your well being the most out of the group. She loved you with all of her being, and because she kept her feelings genuine, I have to honor her promise." Baba rose, the fire in her eyes brightening. "I'm going with you. End of discussion. When do we leave?"  
Clair was Elysium after she was purified. Shortly after her purification, Clair fell deeply in love with Xan. After being pushed by Baba, he started feeling the same. Using her powers as the personification of Soul Calibur, she resurrected Kalina.  
Katti, before Shun, was the wielder of Soul Calibur when Clair was still Elysium. After Elysium left her to die, Edgemaster saved her life and trained her in sealing the swords off. At the final battle's climax, with Clair's help, she sealed off the Soul Swords and now guards them with Clair in the Astral Chaos.  
I sigh in defeat. "Two days. I'll-"  
"We'll," she sternly interrupted.  
"We'll meet Edgemaster and Olcadan at the entrance of the Grand Labyrinth."  
"That's near the Black Sea, right? I'll meet you and the others there. I need to find my armor as well as work on my Phantom Edge summoning skills. I'm rusty as all hell."  
"I'm going to go say goodbye to Sophitia, Cass, and Rothion."  
"Ok, Spectre. I'll see ya in two days." Baba then grabs my shirt. "Leave without me, and I'll find a way to get to you and fuckin' kill ya!"

Athens, Greece: Twenty minutes later  
Cassandra joined the group shortly after Xan and Baba purified Shun. Clair remained a reliable member ever since then, using Sophitia's motherhood as a viable reason to travel with them. She suffered enough and decided to take her place.  
"Damn. You should've come here first! I would've come with you instead of Baba!"  
"Sorry, Baba is my closest friend. She had to know first."  
I caught the Alexander family in the middle of a Family Picnic. Jeez, they are so corny in times of peace. I told Sophitia and Rothion first as Cass wasn't there when I told them.  
"Well, I'm your fucking friend too! I should take priority over Baba!"  
"Cass… I've only known you for six months." I said jokingly.  
Cass punched me in my shoulder, seriously.  
"Ow!"  
"Good. Leaving me before I can confess my feelings. The Grand Labyrinth, right? I'm ready to fight Baba to go with you to the past. I'm determined to go with you. Are you going to see Aeon?"  
"Yeah, I am."  
"Then I'll see you soon," she said before embracing me and kissing my cheek. "Bye."  
"I'll see you later."  
Twenty-five minutes later:  
Aeon, otherwise known as Lizardman, was a constant thorn in the original group's side as a loyal servant of Inferno. After Shun's defection and Kalina's initial death, Xan killed him. However, Hephaestus resurrected him and gave his sanity back. After a brief meeting with Edgemaster, he turned Aeon into a human offscreen, then joined the group afterward. At the Lost Cathedral, he ended up defeating a clone of his time as Lizardman, effectively putting his past to rest before reuniting with his family.  
"Tough luck. My deepest apologies, Xan."  
"You don't have to apologize, Aeon. I'm just sad I couldn't be here for your kid's first day of school."  
"It's nothing. Two days, huh? It feels like we slew Abyss yesterday. Now it's been three months since then. Time flies..."  
"Not for me. I'm going back four years into the past."  
"Oh, right. My bad," he responded while scratching the top of his head.  
"Just make sure you live a nice life. Hephaestus knows you and your family deserve it."  
"Thanks. I wish you the best of luck on your journey."

Osaka, Japan; Jyarukudai Villa: One day later  
Toyotomi was a recurring side character along with his wife, Nene. It was the pair who gave Xan, ownership of the Jyarukudai Villa after he and Baba returned to Japan for the first time in years. He was a steady pillar of support for the group as the original story went on.  
"You'll be leaving for the past tomorrow? Seems like you can't catch a break, Xan-kun."  
"So it seems. So much for having a break. At this rate, I'll never rest."  
"Say, when you get back to the past, look me up."  
"Why? I thought your interest in me was only a few months old?"  
"Not really. I was interested in your skills for some time but decided to let being a Lord age first before seeking you out. Find me, and I might give you the Villa early. You need a place to lay your head."  
"I'll do that. It's getting late. Thank you both for visiting before I leave."  
"Of course. Even though our time knowing each other was short, you're a friend to me, Xan."  
"Same! Thanks a bunch for saving the world."  
"Nene-chan, you're very welcome."  
And the pair left. I have a big day ahead of me tomorrow, so I decided to clock in early. However, I was awoken prematurely. As my vision starts to clear, I see Setsuka.  
"Setsuka?"  
Setsuka ended up being an on and off member of the group due to her growing hatred for Mitsurugi. When she first met Xan, she confused him with Mitsurugi as he used Xan's name to draw attention to himself and fight strong opponents, Xan included.  
Thanks to Xan, Setsuka attained her vengeance but spared Mitsurugi as an act of mercy. Later on, she and Xan started seeing each other after Clair and Katti went back to the Astral Chaos, and eventually fell in love.  
"You're such a heavy sleeper." I made room for her as she sits at the bedside. "How come you never told me you were leaving?"  
"I looked for you all day and couldn't find you. How did you know?"  
"Taki told me this afternoon. Why is Edgemaster having you do this? There have to be more people who are capable of doing so?"  
"Apparently not. The person who informed them of this plan told them to let me carry it out."  
"Ugh. I always hated Edgemaster's insistence on letting you handle all of the world's problems. Why not let Siegfried handle it?"  
"Because he's still recovering from being Nightmare twice, the burden weighing extremely heavily on him. Hilde is the sole reason he hasn't lost his mind yet."  
Setsuka comes in the bed with me before embracing me tightly, allowing me to feel her voluptuous curves. "I wanted to thank you for all you did for me. Settling things with Mitsurugi, making peace with my past, and helping me find my happiness."  
"Oh, right. Your orphanage is opening soon, right?"  
"Yes, I'm glad you remembered." She bent her head down. "I'm sad you won't be here to see it open."  
"Your Mother and Master would be so proud of you."  
Setsuka then started to break down. I wipe her tears with my hand. "I'm so sorry for being such a mess. I just... love you so damn much."  
"Look, I want you to travel with me to the Grand Labyrinth tomorrow. I'll say goodbye to you then."  
I hear her sniff, Setsuka's embrace tightening around me. "Ok. We should turn in for the night."  
We both fell asleep. When we awoke, we both got ready for the inevitable. I found my armor from when I was the Spectre.  
"*Sigh*. Here we go again."  
"It's for the best."  
"I know."  
I grab the outfit and put it on but leave the mask down. No reason to hide my face. I then grab my O-Katana and Shamshir. The Nodachi broke after dealing the final blow to Abyss. Takes one to give one, though I'm still saddened by the loss as it was an excellent sword. We both arrive at the Grand Labyrinth's entrance and see Edgemaster and Olcadan. But no Baba or Cass.  
"Morning, Dragon!"  
"Where's Baba and Cass?"  
"When they both arrived, they started arguing and fighting over who would join you. We both told them they'd only hold you back. They wished you the best of luck and to find them when you arrive in the past."  
He eyes your girl. "Is Setsuka coming with you?"  
"No, Edgemaster. But I do have some words for you when Xan departs for the past."  
"Oh, you're gonna get it, Old Man! Are you ready, Dragon?"  
"Just one thing."  
"Sure. We'll be here, so long as we get you to the past at some point today."  
I turn to Setsuka. "Well... this is it."  
"I'll miss you."  
"So will I. Here, before I forget."  
I pull out a Snowflake Necklace. She turns around, and I put it on her, the jewelry shining as brightly as her hanging just above her cleavage. I also handed her my Shamshir.  
Setsuka is shocked. "Are you sure?"  
"You always wanted it. The O-Katana will be enough for me. Take it and Shun's Shade. It's back at the Villa, which is also yours from now on."  
"Xan... I- Thank you so much. Thank you for everything."  
"It's nothing. Goodbye." I say.  
Before I can eve prepare myself, Setsuka hugs me tightly as she then gives me a passionate kiss. That made me wonder if I should reconsider taking her with me. However, I can't as the world comes first, no matter how much I wanted to say 'screw it.'  
After breaking away, I kiss her forehead and stroke her hair. "I'll never forget you. I love you."  
"I love you too," she declares.  
We reluctantly separate, Setsuka backing away with even more tears emerging from her eyes.  
"Alright, Olcadan. Let's do it."  
"When you arrive in the past, seek Edgemaster. All the portals to the Proving Grounds are still around four years ago. Tell him everything, and he'll know what to do. This is practically a clean slate for you. Anything you can't do now, you can most likely do in the past. I won't say go nuts, but you have a lot more freedom than you think. Oh, take this."  
He handed me a Holy Stone Fragment. It's larger than the one Edgemaster gave me a few months ago. Olcadan hands me the Time Stone as it glows violently.  
"Best of luck, Dragon! You can do it!"  
"Goodbye, Xan. May Fortune smile on you today!"  
Next thing I knew, I'm back in Japan.  
I survey the area. "I'm in Tokyo. Olcadan said I should head for the Proving Grounds first." My stomach then rumbles. "Maybe I should eat something. Can't stop Planetary Devastation on an empty stomach."  
So I head to Osaka and find my favorite Onigiri spot. I was a regular here since I was 14, and the workers know me on a first-name basis. But I wondered if they would recognize me now. It's not an everyday thing to have one of your regulars age four years in one day. But anyway, I enter and I walk up to the front table.  
"Hey! Can I get some service to please?"  
Out walks Junge, the daughter of the place. She was 4 years older than me, but now we're both 20. "How can I- Xan? How did you grow so fast?"  
"I matured fast. Can I get a-"  
"No, sir! You can't just waltz in here like this and not expect to tell me how all this happened."  
"I just want my regular, Junge. I have places to be and things to do, so chop-chop, sister."  
She crosses her arms. "Not until I get my explanation. You were just a scrawny boy a few weeks ago. Now you come back taller, well-built, and carry an O-Katana instead of Qing Long? And what's with the scar on your right cheek?"  
She goes to touch it, but I brush her hand away. "Why are you asking me these questions? Whenever I came here before and asked for my regular, you made me my food."  
"You looked like you aged rapidly since you left!"  
"Things happened. I will find somewhere else to eat if you don't make me my regular, Junge!"  
"Fine, but after you eat, you're telling me how you grew so much. Dad! Xan's regular on the double!"  
I roll my eyes. Junge always babied me when I first visited here. She was also a swordswoman, but every time we sparred, I won, something she never forgets. She went in the back to help make the food. My mind began to wander aimlessly.  
"I got to go tell Mother about the fact that I pretty much took this Xan's place. On the bright side, any famous person with the Soul Swords is significantly weaker here in this timeline. If I have to fight any of them, it won't be nearly as difficult. Then there's the matter of finding the group here, which will be interesting, to say the least. Baba isn't a scholar yet, Kin's probably still with the Society, Shun's training with Li Long and Kalina probably lives with her Uncle. That also means Setsuka's Master is still alive. Then Setsuka and I are the same age!  
Wait, that also means-  
"Alright, losers! Everyone give up your gold or lose your fingers!"  
The Moon Pheasants are still around. Two of them notice and start scoping me out as one laid a hand on my shoulder. "Check out this guy here! You look like you can handle yourself! How about joining the Moon Pheasants? You'll be given anything you want. Money, power, women. What do you say?"  
I casually take the guy's hand off my shoulder and turn to look at them. "No thanks. I just got a clean slate back in Kyoto after being pardoned for the crimes I committed. I don't want to end up on the wrong side of the law again. You guys understand, right?"  
"Pity. Now we gotta kill ya. Nothin' personal, just following orders."  
"Then you may die with your loyalty still intact," I say before unsheathing the O-Katana and take the guy's hand clean off.  
I kick him, and he falls on the wood floor. The other member wildly swings at me, but I duck his attack and stab him in his back before pushing him outside. Before I leave the awestruck crowd, I lift the guy I kicked and throw him out too.  
"Junge, I'll be right back! I'm taking out the trash!" I say as I temporarily exit the establishment.  
The two cronies are lying on the floor, the one I initially stabbed rising to his feet. "You fool. Do you know what you have done?"  
"I know very well what I did. I'm ridding Osaka of a couple of no-good thugs for free. Since you can still stand, you can still fight, correct? Then come on."  
The guy came rushing at me and swung violently again. I dodge his attack, and in one motion, cleave his head right off. I throw his blood off my blade. The other soldier who lost his hand is now standing again. He rushed at me too, but instead of dodging his attack, I simply stabbed him in his abdomen. I push him deeper into my sword before removing the blade out of his belly before decapitating him.  
"Somehow, I keep forgetting how inept these bastards were," I say nonchalantly before heading back inside the establishment.  
Junge stood on the opposite end of the table with food in hand. "Holy crap, Xan! I didn't expect you to deal with them so easily! Here!" She hands me my food.  
"You shouldn't expect anything to change, no matter how short the time gap is." I began eating one of the Onigris. "Goodness, I forgot how good these tasted. Thanks a bunch, Junge-chan."  
"Chan?"  
I froze in place. I curse my word choice.  
"Oh my God. You do look older. What happened to you, Xan?"  
I sigh and turn around to see her look at me with confusion in her eyes. "Keep a secret?"  
She nods violently.  
"Alright, I'll tell you the gist of it. Listen closely since I'm telling you this one time. Ok?"  
"Uh-huh."  
So I tell her a very abridged version of what has happened to me these past few months. After finishing, she looked more aware of my appearance.  
"So that's why you look older. You're from four years in the future. That explains the scar near your eye. Why do you always put yourself in danger?"  
"Cause that's what's demanded in being an armed Nomad. It's inevitable. Thanks for the food, Junge. I'll see if I can come back later before I leave."  
"Ok. Best of luck."  
I leave the restaurant and head for Mother's place when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I instinctively slammed the butt of the scabbard against the stranger's stomach. I then heard a familiar voice in pain.  
"Damn, Xan. Ya didn't have to hit me so damn hard."  
I turn and see Kin. He had his outfit from our journey against Abyss. "Kin!? What are you doing here?"  
Kin, the still Noble Thief  
After Abyss was killed and the group brought peace across the world, Kin moved in with Taki. Not so long after that, they were wedded. They made an odd but wonderful pairing.  
Also, not too long after the marriage, Kin joined the Manjitou to fight alongside Yoshimitsu for a while. Taki, however, convinced him to stop for fear he may die while on the job. He reluctantly agreed but worked as an alumni from time to time. Now here he is, ready to help Xan on his quest.  
His altruistic nature has gotten the better of him once again.  
"What does it look like? I'm here to help. Angol Fear sent me after you. She said that you might need help, and I'm the only one who can do that without being constantly angry. When she said that, Baba immediately came to mind."  
I shrug. "That's how she is. But Edgemaster sent her back to London when I arrived."  
"Yeah, Taki tried to stop her, but she didn't stand a chance and had no choice but to give me consent to go back. And here I am. So, we gonna find Edgemaster, first?"  
"Actually, I was on the way to Mother's house. I gotta explain everything to her. She is my Mom."  
"Glad to see that you still care for her after everything she put you through," Kin says as we start walking again.  
"We only get one, you know? And she knows more than most, so I feel like she'd understand once I explain everything."  
I reply. I stop in place after a while.  
"Xan? What's wrong?"  
"I feel like we're being watched. I know this aura, but it's faint. Come out! I know you're there!"  
The figure reveals an all too familiar face. Shura. But since this is four years in the past, she was nowhere near as sadistic or obsessive, fortunately for me.  
"Can we help you?"  
"You look strong, tough guy. Care to dance?"  
Less doesn't mean not at all, however. "You think you can keep up?"  
"Take me on and find out, big guy."  
I unsheathed the O-Katana and got ready to attack. I plan on ending this fight quickly. "Whenever you're ready."  
Planting my sword towards the ground at an angle, I prepare myself as she rushes and swings vertically with one sword and horizontally with the other. I block and push her back. While she was off-balance, I drive my hilt against her nose, nearly breaking it on contact. She fell hard and started snorting blood out of her nose. She got up and approached again, but I stop her by nearly jabbing her stomach with the O-Katana's blade tip. She looked horrified but relaxed as I sheathed my sword and gave the duelists' glare as I call it.  
"You lose, lady. Now get lost." I say as we start for Mother's place again.  
But Shura, instead of trying to attack us again, merely apologized. "Sorry for attacking you, Senpai."  
"Senpai?" I say as I turn around.  
"Yes, Senpai. My name is Maiko, but recently, I have been referred to as Shura."  
Maiko "Shura" Tamaki  
Now 20 years of age as opposed to being 24, Shura or Maiko (whichever you prefer) was recently orphaned due to both her parents succumbing to illness. She wandered with nothing to remember them by besides her Katanas, Raijin-Maru & Fujin-Maru, and her incomplete fighting style. While a duelist in her spare time, she seeks knowledge to complete her style and hopefully meet some mighty warriors on the way. But only Maiko knows the hate she harbors for a certain Ninja Clan.  
What lies in her soul is Hate.  
(Originally, when Maiko was Shura in the original tale, she and Xan dated but broke it off when he realized she was crazy but chose to spare her life. Consequently, she stalked him and remained a ghost of his past until Katti initially killed her. Zasalamel resurrected and turned her into a mindless slave, who had a pseudo Broly/Goku complex with Xan until Katti supposedly killed her again. After the time skip, Baba killed her once and for all at a Japanese Shrine.)  
"Where are you two headed?"  
"Home."  
"Oh. And after that?"  
"The Himalayas."  
"Ooh. Can I come?"  
"Huh? Why would we bring you along? You didn't get a hit off on me."  
"I know the gap between us is larger than I thought, but I'm working with an incomplete style of swordsmanship. I'm improving, and if I go with you two, I know it'll help me improve even more. I have a feeling that you two attract strong warriors."  
I look at Kin, and he just shrugs. I sigh. "Fine, you can come. But the first sign of genuine danger you can't handle, we will take it from there. Alright?"  
"Got it."  
"I'm Xan, by the way."  
"And I'm Kin."  
"Xan-senpai and Kin-senpai. Ok, let's go." Maiko says as she walks up to us.  
We continue our excursion to Mother's place. On the way, she chats up Kin. "Kin-senpai, how do you fight?"  
"With a Dagger and some bombs I created myself along with survival instincts. Basic, but it gets the job done."  
"Kin likes to undermine himself. He's a better fighter than he gives himself credit for."  
"Is he better than you, Xan-senpai?"  
"I wish. Xan would slaughter me if we fought. I've seen him kill small armies as well as the supernatural."  
"Same with you, Kin. See what I mean? Anyway, we're here. You two wait out here."  
"Really, Xan? I never got to meet your Mother y'know?"  
"Ooh, can I meet her too?"  
"Ugh fine. Behave yourselves."  
*Knock* *Knock*.  
"Hello? Oh, Xan! My child! You look... different somehow. Where's Qing Long, and your Robes?"  
"Mother, I have a lot of explaining to do. Can we please come in?"  
"Oh, sure! Nice to meet you both. You may call me Mani."  
"Xan-senpai! You never told me that your Mother was The Demoness of Kyoto!"  
"Xan, dear. Who is this, sweetheart?"  
"That's Maiko, and he's Kin."  
"Nice to meet you, Ms. Shio."  
"Oh, please. You may call me Mani."  
We head inside Mother's house as Kin and Maiko take a seat. I decided to stand. Mom does the same as Kin and Maiko.  
"So, Mom. How come you never told me you were trained by Edgemaster?"  
Mother looked shook. "How did you-"  
"I have some explaining to do."  
"Well, I should lower the possible suspicions."  
*Sigh* "First off, Kin and I are from four years from the future, hence why I look so different. Qing Long was lost after a near-fatal encounter with Soul Calibur. After that, I was trained by Edgemaster, and he gave me these clothes because the Dragon Robes were damaged beyond repair. Cepheus made my O-Katana. I also had a Nodachi and a Shamshir. But the Nodachi was recently broken in the final battle of our last journey, and I gave the Shamshir to... someone close."  
"All are you from the future?"  
"Just Kin and myself. I'm telling you this because there can be only one Xan in this time frame. I have permanently taken the Xan from this time's place. You will never see him again, I'm afraid."  
"We are deeply sorry, Ms. Mani."  
"Wait, you two are from the future? This is crazy."  
"I'm sorry, Mom. We will leave you now." I say as we all head for the door.  
"Wait, child!" We all turn around to see Mother standing up as well. "Is there something you aren't telling me?"  
"Mother, I'm risking the future enough as is with people from this time knowing of Kin and me being here in the first place. I don't want to screw with time any more than I already have. There are a lot of things I'm not telling you. And for the sake of our time, I won't."  
"Fine. But do be careful, child. I don't want to lose my baby boy."  
"Mother…"  
"Don't worry, Ms. Shio. We'll make sure he doesn't kill himself."  
"Thank you both. Alright, I won't keep you three any longer."  
We then heard a knocking on the door. "Mother, are you expecting anybody?"  
"No, child. Whoever is on the other side of the door is an enemy."  
They were members of the Moon Pheasants. How do I know this? They made it apparent. "We know you in there, Xan Shio! Snarky bastard. Who would've thought that you would be the son of the most infamous duelist in Japan? Now we definitely got to off ya! There's nowhere for you to run Xan! Now come out and die!"  
"They were never known for their smarts," I say as I head for the door.  
"Xan, are you sure you want to do this now? We have to go see Edgemaster."  
"I have time, Kin. Besides, this was impossible to avoid. I was going to butt heads with them soon enough. Best nip it in the bud than wait."  
"Then let me help you."  
"Me too! I can kill Moon Pheasant underlings like nothing."  
"Alright. Let's go."  
I open the door to see about twenty Moon Pheasants on the other side. "Smart boy. Now get on your knees and beg for mercy!"  
"From you oafs? You know of my mother, and yet you still think you can take me? Twenty soldiers aren't enough. You're throwing your lives away." I say while unsheathing my sword.  
Kin and Maiko come out soon after. "So the Momma's Boy has friends after all! Kill them all!"  
We ready ourselves. Weaklings, the lot of them. It was over in an instant, every soldier reduced to a pile of blood.  
"The Proving Grounds can wait another day."  
"What?"  
"I think I should accelerate history and rid Japan of the Moon Pheasants now."  
"Are you sure that's a good idea, Xan?"  
"Screw that! Can you even do that?"  
"I did originally two years in the future, but I don't think anything bad can happen if I do this early. Besides, this deed was what got Hideyoshi's attention."  
Kin was deep in thought. "Yes, if you do this now, we may have early access to the Jyurakudai Villa in Osaka."  
"Wait, you singlehandedly took down the entire Moon Pheasant collective? How strong are you two?"  
"That can wait. I say we find a place to set up camp, and when it hits midnight, I'll take care of them all."  
"What? I'm not going with you?"  
"No. This is something I have to do alone. To be fair, the Jyurakudai Villa is mine. Plus, I think it'll be more likely to get the invitation if I did it alone. You two will watch the campsite while I perform the massacre."  
"If that's what you think."  
"Are you sure about this, Xan-senpai?"  
"Positive. When I did this two years later, I did so alone. Best not change it anymore since I'm doing it earlier."  
"Best not argue with him, Maiko. He's keen on what must be done. I would know."  
"Well, it's still daytime. What should we do in the meantime?"  
"Maiko, what are you doing?"  
We all turn to see another woman who had a darker complexion than all three of us. And the smile she wore hid a mischievous and mean side.  
"Lyla, I told you I'm done working for you. Leave me alone."  
"Who's she?"  
"My name is Lyla. I'm a swordsman as well and a shop near the port. And you two are traveling with one of my finest soldiers who up and left without my permission."  
"Because I was coerced into working for you. You were leading me down the path of being a stone-cold murderer. I just want to complete my parent's style and improve my own swordsmanship. You helped me with neither from the day I started!"  
"A small price to pay for progress, Shura. Return to my side, or else."  
"Or else what?" I say sternly.  
"You think you can stop me, swordsman? Kill him, boys!"  
I sigh as her goons rush at me. I swing my sword and hit one in the throat, and he fell hard. The other swung their axe at me before I circle around and stab him in his heart. I throw the blood off my blade and sheathe it. Turning back, I see Lyla taken aback by my show of force.  
I walk up to her and get in her face. "We'll make sure nothing bad happens to Maiko. Understood?"  
Lyla nods. "Good. Let's get the hell out of here." I say to the others.  
"She's gonna be trouble, Xan. I can feel it."  
"We can worry about her antics later. And if the need arises, we have a renegade with us who can tell us everything we need to know. Right, Maiko?"  
"Oh, yes! Don't worry, I don't want to do anything to anger the both of you." She responds.  
A silence follows soon after but was cut short by Maiko's stomach. "You hungry?"  
"I didn't get the chance to eat yet."  
"Here, have my last Onigiri," I say as I hand her my rice ball.  
"Thanks, Xan-senpai." She took a bite of her food before quickly devouring the rest. "That's better."  
"We should rest up before tonight. I know I need it."  
"But where?"  
"How about Ms. Mani's place? We could stay until nightfall and split up then. We'll make camp outside the city while Xan disposes of the Moon Pheasants."  
"Good idea, Maiko."  
She blushed. "Oh, it's nothing, Senpai."  
We all head back to Mother's to rest up. When I awoke, it was nearing midnight. I grabbed my sword and started for the door.  
But Mom stopped me. "Where are you going without the others?"  
*Sigh* "To massacre the Moon Pheasants."  
"You are going to what? By yourself?"  
"Yes, Mom."  
"Can you do that?"  
"Yes, I can. I did it originally two years in the future."  
"Wow."  
"What do you expect? You raised a tough kid."  
"I did, huh?" She then roughed up my hair. "Show them what for honey."  
"When the others wake up, tell them where I went."  
"I will."  
"Alright, I'll see you later."  
I leave Mother's house and head for the Moon Pheasants HQ, otherwise known as Bird's Eye Tower. Note their obsession with birds. From the lights that are on inside, they were still awake. Good, which means I can get in. I take a deep breath and put my mask on.  
"Let's do this." I unsheathe the O-Katana and sneak towards the gate.  
When I get closer, I hear the gatekeepers talking. "I can't believe Xan is the son of The Demoness of Kyoto."  
"Makes sense, how he's such a damn good swordsman. Rumor has it that he's currently traveling with the Boss' ex."  
"Maiko? That waste of space? She couldn't fight to save her life, so the Boss sold her to the Fu-Ma Clan."  
"You think those two are datin' now?"  
"No, but I did think she learned a couple of things from him, though. When we sent those soldiers after 'em, a report said that she killed a few of them effortlessly. But that Xan is somethin' else."  
"Ah, he ain't so tough. I wish he would show his face around here. Then I can gut him like a salmon."  
That was my cue. I slowly stand and stab the loudmouth in the back of his neck before whispering, "Who's the salmon now?" I then tear open his throat, blood spilling all over the ground.  
The other guard, despite the darkness outside, looked horrified. "What are you doing here?"  
"Doing Kyoto a favor," I respond before stabbing him in the heart, killing him instantly.  
I look to see that the gate is open. "They make it too easy."  
With that, I entered the HQ before closing the door as quietly as possible to move and kill the nearest soldier by stabbing him in the back. I then turn him around to slit his throat. I then stomp on his face so he'll die unconscious.  
I searched the floor for any other soldiers before taking the stairs. Another soldier was in my sight, but he's too far for me to sneak up and kill him. I sigh as I knew I had to draw attention to myself. I see the alarm he's guarding and quickly formalize a plan. When he turns around, I rush and stab him in the back with the whole blade.  
"Ring the alarm."  
*Cough* "Are you mad?"  
"I'm a Black Dragon. Die with dignity and ring the alarm."  
"Your funeral," he croaks before slamming the alarm.  
I then stab his heart before rushing for the stairs. "Let's do this."  
I kick the door down and see every soldier coming down to oppose me. "It's Xan! Defend the Tower!"  
"Out of the way!"  
The first soldier came and met his end as I before slicing the foremost soldier's neck, causing him to fall down the side. The next tries to attack, but I parry his sword before bashing in his cheek and throw him out the window. I run to the next and drive my blade into the bottom of his face, the tip exiting out atop his head before splitting his face off.  
Reacting quickly, I grab his blade that he dropped and threw it at the next soldier's chest, impaling his stomach. I violently pull the edge out, making sure to rupture a few organs.  
The first floor went without any issues.  
I open the door to the second floor, and I see soldiers eating and partying. Did they not hear the alarm? I slam my hilt against the wall, that got their attention.  
"Oh, crap!"  
"Indeed," I remark before blitzing the soldier while stabbing his throat.  
The girls who I assume were harlots, responded appropriately by screaming and running. Ignoring their franticness, I dash for the next soldier attempting to kill him. He narrowly avoids the attack, taking the blow to his arm.  
"Ahh! What the hell are you!?"  
"A human, simply put," I say coldly.  
"No sane man would barge into the Moon Pheasant Stronghold."  
"Then I guess I'm mad then. Now, about your arm..." I say before slicing his arm off.  
He crawls away or attempts to, but I catch him and slit his throat. The other soldiers ran off to the third floor. "Well, that's this floor."  
"Hey! Help me out here!"  
I walk up to one of the cells and see... Setsuka!?  
"What are you doing here?"  
"I came for the view! What's it look like I'm doing!?"  
"You're a prisoner and being sarcastic?"  
Setsuka had on a blue kimono as opposed to her typical choice of red. Her hair was the same, but she didn't have her gloves, meaning she didn't have her sword.  
"You're not with them, so I can take this tone. Did Master Kokonoe send you?"  
"No, I came here of my own volition."  
"Then you must be something else if you got here without any injuries."  
"I'm a legend in the making," I say sarcastically.  
"So... are you going to let me out?"  
"Not when there are soldiers still around. I'll clear the tower and then come back to get you. Sit tight."  
"Not like I have anywhere else to go. Name's Setsuka."  
"Snow Flower, huh? That's sappy."  
"I didn't get your name!"  
*Sigh* "Xan."  
"Don't take too long."  
"I got two floors left, but some of the soldiers fled for the third floor."  
"Best of luck!" I hear as I head for the third floor.  
When I opened the door, I see something expectant expect, all the soldiers ready to charge me head-on. I count six soldiers, each one of them horrified at my presence.  
"Got nothing to say? That's a first."  
"What did we do to you, man? We didn't rob you."  
"You tried but failed spectacularly. That's too petty a reason to storm your HQ and start slaughtering your men." I say as I start to slowly walk towards them.  
"Why are you here?"  
"Tell you what, if one of you is still alive in 30 seconds, I'll give an explanation!"  
I ran towards the soldier straight ahead and slam him on the ground before stabbing his kidney. I slice and exit the body before turning my blade around thrust toward the soldier who tried to attack me from behind. I slit his throat, then kick him, so he bumps into his buddies. While they laid on the floor, I stab them all in their lungs, life slowly draining from each one.  
I look around for any other soldiers. None to see, but that means there are about 50 soldiers, the leader included, on the final floor.  
"Ugh, let's get this over with."  
Taking the next flight of stairs, I reach the door and open it before all 50 tried to swarm me. The men who jumped first died instantly. Bit by bit, the crowd shortens until the only ones standing are the leader and me.  
He starts clapping sardonically. "Incredible. To think that you would slaughter my men so easily."  
"Maybe you should recruit better men. Then we wouldn't be having this conversation."  
"You're a heartless man, Xan. These men had families."  
"So did their victims. I don't want to hear it from you, especially when you're Soul Edge cultist."  
That shifted his tone. "How do you know that!?"  
"I have sources everywhere. But this conversation is over. Prepare to die."  
I rush at blinding speed at the leader and decapitate him. My Holy Stone fragment starts to glow violently. I take it out and place it over his corpse. It then floats out of my hand and burns even brighter. When the light faded, the bodies were still there, but the blood was gone. Jeez, this fragment is potent. I head to check the leader for the prison keys and found them attached to his belt.  
I head back to the second floor and get back to Setsuka's cell. "You're back. What was that light?"  
"Beats me, but I do have the key," I say as I unlock her cell. "So, Ms. Snow Flower. Where are you from?"  
"Don't call me that, and I'm from Osaka."  
"Ah. Well, everyone's dead, so you should have safe passage back."  
"But it's late at night."  
"And I have a campfire, but I don't think you want your kimono to get dirty. Take the key and find a bed to sleep here. Then head back to your master in the morning."  
"Where are you going?"  
"Back to my group. I told them to make a campfire on the outskirts of the city. Safe passage back to Osaka." I say as I start for the door.  
Before I left, I heard her say, "Thank you, Xan-kun!"  
"Later, Setsuka-chan."  
And I leave the tower. On the way to the forest, I hear more clapping. I grab my sword out of reflex to take on whoever followed me.  
"Hold, Dragon-chan! I'm a friend."  
I turn to see a woman. She looked otherworldly, and on her back was a staff with a moon at the end.  
"Who are you?"  
"I'm Angol Fear, the being who sent you on this journey."  
I loosen my grip on the sword.  
"Good, now you're calm. I have to say, Edgemaster told me of your skill but to think you would be this good at such a young age. That was spectacular."  
"Any repercussions?"  
"Not at all! You've done a great service for Japan. One step at a time from stopping the end of the world."  
"Is that the only reason you are here?"  
"Not quite. Kin and Maiko have set up camp outside the town. I volunteered to tell you of their whereabouts. Go outside through the south end and when you enter the forest, keep on the path until you see the fire."  
"Thanks, Angol-sama."  
"Just Angol Fear will do. Also, I have a weapon to give you."  
"What's wrong with the O-Katana? Cepheus made it."  
"And his craftsmanship is second to none. But I am otherworldly, so my weapon will serve you better. Here, a weapon fitting to a swordsman of your skill. An O-Katana made Orchicalcum." She said proudly as she spawned the Orchicalcum O-Katana.  
The sky blue blade shined beautifully in the moonlight. At the hilt, there's an empty space where an item can be placed inside. She hands it to me, feeling lighter than it looks.  
"It's almost like a lightweight."  
"To you. Only those who held the Soul Swords can wield this weapon. It was lying on my home planet, and they didn't care what happened. To them, this is the weakest weapon, but for you, it's perfect. Go rendezvous with your friends. I'll be watching over you."  
And she flew off like it was normal. I shrug it off, and before heading for the campsite, I examine the sword I just received. It was a thing of beauty from an outsider's perspective.  
"What should I call you? Eh, I'll figure it out later."  
I sheathe the Orchicalcum Katana and head for the site. When I arrive, they both looked relieved. "You're back! We thought you actually died. Maiko was especially worried."  
"Kin! You were about to cry!"  
"Was not."  
"Was too."  
"The point is that I made it out alive. Plus, Angol Fear gave me this." I say as I show them the Orchicalcum O-Katana.  
"Whoa. How'd she get this?"  
"Apparently, it was on her home planet, the weakest weapon there as no one cared if she took it."  
"It looks majestic."  
"Well, it's mine now, so..." I say.  
"So, Senpai. When are we going to the Himalayas?"  
"First thing in the morning. Who's taking the first watch?"  
"I will. Maiko took watch while you were gone."  
"Rest up, Maiko. When we get to where we need to go, there's someone you should meet. He can assist with your swordsmanship."  
"How do you know?"  
"He trained me."  
"And me. He's pretty damn smart if he can show us a thing or two, then you should learn an encyclopedia's worth of knowledge."  
"That would be wonderful. Where do I sign up?"  
Just then, a sound occurred in the bushes. We all stand and retrieve our weapons. "Who's there?"  
The shadow reveals herself to be a stranger. She wore a white skintight jumpsuit and a mouth guard similar to Taki's. Her gloves were demonic in design, a sharp contrast to her dark complexion and red eyes. On her hip was a Chevalier, odd because from what I could make of her face, she was Japanese like all of us. Add to that, a Shade was slung over her back.  
"No need to worry! I'm not an enemy!"  
"Did you follow me here?"  
"Only because of who you are, Black Dragon."  
I unsheathe my O-Katana and point the tip at her. "How do you know of me? And how do you know that moniker?"  
"The Manji Clan, well the last of it sends their regards. Angol-sama sent me back too with Coin-senpai."  
"You're of the Manjitou? How come I never saw you?"  
"Because I handle the really dark stuff - Killings, assassinations, weeding out traitors, and snitches. I was super underground. Yoshimitsu-sama told me of Coin-senpai and you! Your attack on Bird's Eye Tower was marvelous!"  
"Your name?"  
"Oh, where are my manners? My name is Akui."  
Akuimitsu of the Manjitou  
Like Yoshimitsu, Akui was a member of the Manji Clan before Oda Nobunaga slaughtered them all. She escaped with the Chevalier, a weapon entrusted to Nobunaga by some influential folk from Europe. When Yoshi found out that she was alive, he found her, and she became the first recruit of the Manjitou.  
Stealing wasn't her thing, so Yoshi put her in charge of the darker, less noble tasks. Akuimitsu came to admire both Kin and Xan for their altruism and persistence, respectively. She fights like Kunimitsu if she were to hold a Katana, or in Akui's case, a Chevalier. Energetic, charismatic, beautiful, and deadly to her enemies.  
What lies in her soul is Admiration.  
Akui bows in respect. "I would love to travel with you all to the Proving Grounds! Please take me with you!"  
"That's where we're going!? I'm going to meet Edgemaster!? Oh, my God!"  
"Kin, how did this happen?"  
"It seems like we're more friendly than we both realize, Xan. But if you aren't goin' to hinder us, then we would be happy to have you."  
"Yay! I'm so happy! I should go to sleep as we have a long walk ahead of us tomorrow. G'night, Senpais! G'night, Maiko-kun!"  
"Goodnight, Akui."  
"Night, Akui-chan."  
"Sweet dreams."  
"Xan-senpai, we should sleep too, especially after what you just did."  
"I know. Wake me up when it's my turn, Kin."  
"You're not second. Akui, I'll wake you up when it's your turn."  
"Okay!"  
I lie down and get as comfortable as I can, which wasn't hard because I passed out as soon as I closed my eyes. I'm ready for this journey, and nothing is going to stop me.


	2. The Journey Begins

When I awoke, I sat up and stretched my back, shocked that I fell asleep so quickly. I mean I did just slaughter a whole troupe and met my girlfriend... who isn't yet.  
Ugh, this is confusing.  
I stand and stretch a bit more before surveying the campsite. The fire is nothing more than ash now, Akui and Maiko passed out near the area. Kin was nowhere to be seen. I quickly skim the immediate area and still couldn't see him.  
"Odd. Where could he have gone?" I say before grabbing the O-Katana.  
Unsheathing the blade, I inspect its properties. No wear and tear or damage as far as I can see. I go to wake up Maiko by softly shaking her.  
"Huh? Senpai, what's wrong?"  
"I'll be back shortly. I woke up and couldn't find Kin anywhere. Go back to sleep, but when I wake you, we'll be heading for The Proving Grounds. I'm going to search the forest."  
"Ok, Senpai..." she responded softly before going back to sleep.  
I start wandering around the forest and noticed footprints shortly, but they weren't from the direction we came from. I started following them and ended up near another campsite. However, something was off about the two men patrolling the area. They looked like bandits, but at this distance, I couldn't make out what they were discussing. I sneak behind the closest tree to their camp to get closer.  
"You sure the group that intimidated Miss Lyla is nearby?"  
"Positive. I followed Maiko's scent and found the camp. She isn't alone, though. Those other two Japanese men were with her as well as a new face."  
"Miss Lyla has taken a special interest in the black-clothed swordsman who apparently killed two of our own yesterday."  
She's interested in me? Why?  
I then feel a light tapping on my shoulder. Thinking that I've been caught, I reached for my sword's handle but felt a cold material on my other hand. I cursed inwardly before slowly turning to face my assailant.  
It turned out to be but Nene, Toyotomi's wife.  
"Were you following me?" I angrily inquired in a hushed tone.  
"Since you exited Bird's Eye Tower. I'm-"  
"I know who you are, but the introductions can wait."  
It was then that I heard, "Alright. Let's find the camp and kill them all."  
"Except for the Black Swordsman."  
"Right, I forgot."  
"Decide right now. Friend or Foe?"  
"Friend. We gonna kill them both?"  
"Just one will do, the one closest to us when they walk past this tree. On my cue."  
Nene nods. When they walk past, we jumped them. I give the one closest to me a deep wound on his back, causing him to fall. I then turned him around and slammed my sword in his heart, effectively ending his life.  
"Nene, how's the other one?" I asked.  
Turning around, I saw that Nene tied the other assailant to the tree we were hiding behind. He was muffled.  
"You work fast."  
"So do you. I'm impressed."  
"Alright," I respond as I walk up to the guy. "I ask, you answer. Understood?"  
He nods frantically as he could. "Release the gag."  
Nene pulls the muffler down.  
"Who do you work for?"  
He remained silent. "Silent type, eh? Nene, gag him."  
She complies. I unsheathe my sword and stab his right hand before slashing an open wound on his hand. The muffler kept his screams silent, all he could do after being gagged.  
I bent down and removed the muffler. "Ready to talk now?"  
"We're workin' for Lyla, the best merchant in Japan. She hired us to kill your little group and bring ya back to her."  
"Why the sudden interest in me?"  
"We aren't paid to ask questions. We just do what we're told?"  
"What's your rank in her little entourage?"  
"I'm a middle man tasked to kill anyone Lyla deems a threat. Me and my partner, whom you just killed." He said, fear clearly in his tone.  
"If I kill you, will she leave us alone?"  
"You don't understand, swordsman. Miss Lyla always gets what she wants. You'll be seeing her soon enough, whether you want to or not." He responded with the same tone as before.  
"Unbind him, Nene."  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yes." She did so as I grabbed the man by his throat. "You're going back to Lyla and say that you barely escaped from us all, your brother dying during the task. If I see you again, I'll kill you. No words, no threats. *snap* just like that. Got it?"  
He nods frantically. Nene finishes unbinding the guy, and he runs away. I throw the blood off of my sword and unsheathe it before scratching my head with a sigh. Kin was right. This Lyla character is going to be a pain in our rear ends.  
"Now you, Nene. Why are you following me?"  
"Lord Toyotomi wishes for an audience with you."  
"Tell him to wait. My group and I are planning on starting our trek to the Himalayas today."  
"It won't take long. Lord Toyotomi is currently in Osaka. He had his scouts survey the nearby cities and caught word of your assault on Bird's Eye Tower. He then sent me to find you just as you were leaving. I had assumed you were finished with the Moon Pheasants. Is my assumption correct?"  
I nod. "They're all dead."  
"Wonderful! I must take you to Lord Toyotomi at once!"  
I sigh in defeat. "If you won't leave us alone, I guess we'll go. Follow me."  
"Awesome!"  
We walk back to the camp to see Kin, who looks like he never left. "From the look of things, it seems that you did some morning scouting too."  
"It appears my search went far better than yours."  
"Did you obtain any information?"  
"Yup. But first, Nene, that's Kin, a renounced thief."  
"Very nice to meet you, Nene-san."  
"Oh, you are very kind for a thief."  
"I've been told."  
"Guess who sent soldiers to kill us all?"  
"Who? Wait, don't tell me-"  
"Yup. Lyla sent em'. They were to kill you all and take me back to her hideout. We have no idea as to why she wanted to spare me."  
"Odd. Oh, well. I can guess that if Nene is with you, that means Toyotomi wants to see you?"  
"Correct. Wake up Maiko and Akui and tell em to meet us in Osaka. I assume Toyotomi has been waiting for some time."  
"He has. Best to see him as soon as possible."  
"Don't worry, I'll wake the girls up and direct them. Best be on your way." Kin said as he started clearing up the camp.  
Nene grabbed my hand and started directing me to Osaka.  
"Nene-chan, I know where Osaka is."  
"Shhh, come on."  
"Yes, Mother," I said dryly as she continued, basically dragging me to Osaka.  
Eventually, she let me go, and we walked casually. Out of nowhere, she brought the attack on Bird's Eye Tower.  
"I can't believe you just marched so boldly in the tower and killed every member."  
"It was less marching and more sneaking in, only to realize that the only way for me to finish the job was to draw attention to myself. That's when people started dying left and right."  
"And yet you don't look any worse for wear."  
"I may be young, but I've taken many lives, most of which were not of my free will. I'm well accustomed to creating a corpse, a skill I'm not too proud of owning. In cases like this, however, I don't mind."  
"You carry a heavy burden..."  
"Death corrupts innocence faster than most. I hope you never have to be acquainted with it."  
"I hope so. Here we are! Osaka, Japan! Follow me, I'll show you where Toyotomi-sama is."  
Nene led me through the thriving crowds of Osaka until we stopped at where I assumed she was leading me. The Jyurakudai Villa, which looks exactly like it did in the future.  
"This way, Xan-kun."  
She led me through the corridors of the place. As we passed through, I noticed a lot more concubines here than what I saw in the future. When I got to the main hall, I got my answer as to why. Toyotomi was nowhere to be seen.  
Standing in his steed was his superior, Nobunaga Oda.  
He looked just as dastardly as the stories made him out to be, his presence demanding attention and respect. By his side was a beautiful woman, which I assumed was his wife, Nohime. She looked just as mentally and vile as her husband.  
Nene justifiably expressed shock. "Lord Oda! An honor to see you as always!" She bowed in respect.  
Oda came up and clasped her hands. "Yes, Lady Nene. Some problems have occurred. As a result, they've kept Toyotomi-san in Kyoto. He asked me to take his place in what was to come whenever Xan arrived."  
"Speaking of, Xan is here in the flesh!" She pointed at me, and I jumped but quickly bowed in respect of the Warlord.  
"A pleasure, Lord Oda."  
"Come now, you may call me Nobunaga. I've heard through the wickets that you single-handedly slaughtered the Moon Pheasants last night. Is this true?" he asked with an uncharacteristic tone of friendliness.  
"Yes, Sir. They were pestering my mother and the townsfolk for who knows how long, and I deemed it a good time to end their tactics."  
Oda invaded my personal space to scrutinize me from head to toe with a stern expression. Nohime giggled, much like a noblewoman of her status would. I could feel sweat trickle down my cheek.  
But Oda backed off, and his smile returned. "Incredible, you're telling the truth! Astounding! If only my soldiers were as powerful as yourself. Uniting Japan would be much easier. If you don't mind, Xan-kun, have tea with my wife and me, if you can spare the time."  
I was about to refuse the offer, but Nene hit my arm and whispered in my ear. "Take the offer. Toyotomi was planning on handing you the Villa as a reward."  
That convinced me. "Of course, Nobunaga, sir."  
"Stop with the honorifics. Nene-san, if you don't mind, fetch us some tea leaves."  
"At once, Lord Oda! Don't make the situation stressful for Xan here."  
"No need to worry, Nene-san."  
Nene then left, and we all sit at the table.  
"Xan-kun. How old are you?"  
"I'm twenty years of age."  
"Wow, such a talented swordsman at a very young age. If you don't mind me asking, can you tell us of how you approached this attack? Were you with a group and split off? I'm genuinely curious."  
"If you insist."  
I explained to him in as much detail as I could of my ambush on Bird's Eye Tower. From assassinating the guards, having a soldier ring the alarm, so they all haphazardly rushed to the front, therefore lowering their defenses when they saw only me. The only thing I didn't tell him was the purification of the Tower and my run-in with Angol Fear. When I was finished, he looked at my O-Katana in astonishment.  
"Was this the weapon you used during the assault?"  
"Yes. This O-Katana has seen me through my toughest battles. I had a Nodachi as well but lost it in the climax of what may be the most important battle in my life. A shame as I treasured that blade. No use crying over spilled milk, I suppose."  
"Incredible. You are truly a marvel Xan-kun. Don't you think, dear?"  
"Of course, and handsome too. Are you a married man?"  
"N-no, Lady Nohime. I am too young for such a thing." I say as I feel my cheeks get a little hot.  
"Stop embarrassing him, Nohime. What of your sword technique? It must be one of a kind."  
"Sorry, Nobunaga. I refuse to tell anyone of my approach to combat. Can't have potential enemies know my secrets now, can they?"  
He laughed loudly in response. "Haha! Silly me! You are a promising young man. I hope to hear about your exploits in the future. Now onto why Toyotomi, and by extension myself, have called for you. He has decided to offer you the very Villa we're sitting in."  
"The catch...?"  
"Ha! You're truly a smart man, Xan-kun! I assume you are a well-informed man."  
"I've been around the block a few times."  
"Splendid. It's no secret that I slaughtered the Manji clan of assassins. Still, one of the survivors has made off with the Chevalier, a very mystical weapon of English origin. If you have any information on her whereabouts or her supposed motives, I would be delighted to know."  
I clear my throat, mustering up my best poker face before responding. "Contrary to popular belief, none outside your army, the exception being me, know the fate of the Manji clan. They are currently worried over the conflict between you and Mitsuhide Akechi after you escaped Honnouji five years ago."  
"Your words have more than enough merit, Xan. I concede that the Villa is yours."  
"Milord!"  
"No, Dearest. He's speaking the truth. At times, I wondered how I survived the attack on Honnouji. But I did, and Akechi will pay for his insolence." Oda said darkly.  
He then stood up, and Nohime did the same.  
"Enjoy the tea, but more importantly, enjoy the Villa. It truly is a beautiful citadel. Come, ladies. And you, Nohime."  
"Yes, Milord. A pleasure meeting you, Xan." She bowed at me before they all left the Villa.  
Comically, Nene just returned, not very happy that I was the only one there. "Ugh, he left! That's so like him! You mind Xan-kun?"  
"Not at all. He just gifted me the Villa and left. I think I should head out as well. The Himalayas aren't really the closest destination."  
"Right. Toyotomi-sama and I will watch over the Villa when you aren't here. Some of the others in the army agreed to do so as well, like Toshiie-san and Keiji-san."  
"Well, enjoy the tea. I'm heading out now."  
"Safe travels! We'll pray to Tsukiyomi for a safe trip!" Nene said.  
I exited the Jyurakudai Villa and returned to the forest, where the others were waiting for me. Akui seemed a little tired. To further prove my point, she yawned.  
"Did he give you the Villa?"  
"Not him, but Nobunaga Oda."  
That woke Akui up. "Please tell me you didn't tell him of my location, Senpai!?"  
"I kept my mouth shut. However, his aura was very demanding. I was a little afraid, honestly. His wife seemed to be wanting me to be incorrect about your whereabouts."  
"Yes, I've heard stories of Lady Nohime and her cruelty towards others. Glad that we were still asleep when this happened. So, are we good to head towards the Proving Grounds?"  
"Uh, huh. Let's find the nearest portal. I think it's in the neighboring forest," I said as we head towards the exit of Osaka.  
"Here, Senpai. Your Orchicalcum Katana."  
"Thank you, Maiko-chan."  
"It's a beautiful sword. We had it appraised while we waited for you. Turns out, it's the real thing."  
"You should've seen the look on Akui's face when we heard its value."  
"Senpai! It's bad enough that I stick out of us four!"  
She made a good point. Maiko, Kin, and I wore enough dark-colored clothing. Either it's a deep and dark shade of a color or, in my case, a solid black. Akui was dressed in white, all traces of color in her right glove and her shade, which looked like a drained grey. On the inside, I can see various writings of kanji.  
"I've meant to ask of your color choices, Akui-chan. You said you're pretty much an assassin for the Manjitou but dress in white. Why is that?"  
"It reflects my long term dreams. Despite my dark background, I want to have a family, a fairy tale ending. I used to embrace the dark atmosphere my former profession brought to my life. Manjitou members were horrified by the mere fact that I existed despite most of them never seeing me. Even higher-ups like Coin-senpai never heard of me."  
"What changed?"  
"Yoshi-senpai noticed my changing mentality. Since Coin-senpai told him his and your story, he figured that telling me that same would curve my attitude. Your story kinda served as a reality check for me. I've had a tragic life, but you two stared death in the face and left without being mentally damaged."  
I look at Kin, and he looked shook. "You told Yoshimitsu?"  
"He was merely curious. No harm came from it."  
"Makes sense. Strangers sometimes come up to me whenever I walk around Osaka and say thank you for no good reason."  
"You sure it wasn't because-"  
"Shh, look alive. Setsuka's coming. Best not let her hear of my stories."  
"Got it."  
Setsuka was traveling alongside a man dressed in various shades of grey and deep blue. He had a katana sheathed on his right hip, harboring a scar on the left cheek near his chin. Setsuka noticed me and looked at her companion before pointing at me.  
The man walked up to me with her in tow. "Are you the one who saved Setsuka?"  
"Master, I told you it was him!"  
"Sup, Snow Flower."  
"See?"  
"My thanks. I'm Shugen Kokonoe. A pleasure to meet you."  
"Xan, the pleasure is mine. With me are Kin, Akui, and Maiko."  
"Sup."  
"Hello."  
"Hi."  
"I see you're no short of company. Setsuka told me you cleared out Bird's Eye Tower. Is that true?"  
"Yes, I just finished talking to Nobunaga Oda about the subject."  
"He hired you to do the hit?"  
"I did so of my own volition."  
"Really? And you must have succeeded if you're here in front of us. You must be strong. I'd like to challenge you if you have the time."  
"Sorry, Kokonoe-kun, but we're about to start our trek to the Himalayas."  
"Why there?"  
"We're going to pay a visit to our Master."  
"He must be a powerful man."  
"Indeed. What brings you two to Osaka?"  
"We live here but been recently driven out of our homes by Nobunaga. We're looking for a place to stay."  
"Master, you didn't have to tell him that."  
"You've been kicked out? My home is free right now. You can stay there until we return."  
"Really? Where is it?"  
I point at the Jyurakudai Villa. "Over there."  
"The Jyurakudai Villa is yours? How did you come to gain such a lovely home?"  
"A reward from Toyotomi for wiping out the Moon Pheasants. But with us traveling through the Himalayas, I'm not going to be staying there. Just tell Nene-chan that I gave you two permission to stay there, and she'll let you in."  
"Many thanks, Xan-kun! Come, Setsuka. We've found a place to rest." Kokonoe said as he made his way towards the Villa.  
Setsuka walked up to me and gave me a hug. "Thank you, Xan-san."  
She broke away and kissed my cheek. I felt my face get red from the sudden display of affection. She then ran off after Kokonoe.  
"Ahh Xan, you dog you!"  
"Sh-shut up, Kin."  
"Ah, ha. The Dragon does have feelings! Akui, look. Embarrassment."  
"Why am I friends with you?"  
"Because I'm so likable."  
I sighed. "Alas, this is a true statement. Come on, we're wasting daylight."  
"Come on, Coin-senpai. You embarrassed Dragon-senpai enough today."  
"I know, I know. I rarely see his cheeks flush like that. But I'll leave ya alone until the next time something like this happens." Kin says as we enter the accompanying forest.  
We walked along the path until we neared the portal to the Proving Grounds. Kin decided to scout the area before we entered to make sure we weren't followed, leaving me with Akui and Maiko.  
"So, Dragon-senpai."  
"Yes, Akui."  
"What was life like after you killed Abyss?"  
"For a short time, it was relatively peaceful. However, the team that made it all happen scattered and went back to their homes. The only person I had regular contact with was Kin because we're both Japanese. The others took a lot of effort to contact. Regardless, it was nice. It goes without saying that I gave up a lot to come back here."  
"From the way you blushed around that girl, I can tell she was one of the things you gave up."  
"You could say that."  
"Were you two a couple?"  
"Temporarily. We never really hit any milestones, per se, but I helped sort out her internal problems. Then, I was sent back to the past before our relationship could develop further." I said sadly.  
Akui then gave me a big hug and lifted me up, showcasing her well-hidden strength. "Not to worry! You got Maiko and me now! We're here for you. It's the least we can do after you saved the world! Right, Maiko?"  
"Uh, huh. You should put him down, though, Akui-chan. If Kin-senpai sees this, he'll never let Xan-senpai live it down."  
"Oh, right! Sorry, Dragon-senpai." Akui let me down, and even with her faceguard on, I could see a faint flush of pink form across her face.  
"Hey, Senpai. Did I know you in your time?"  
I clear my throat. "Yes. But uh... you were much different then as opposed to now."  
"How so?"  
"You're older than me, for one. Four years to be exact."  
"I was your Senpai? Whoa, that's strange. Was I still your inferior?"  
"Yes. Originally, I fought with a variant of Mother's style, and during this time, we fought, and I won."  
"Really?"  
"Yup."  
Her face blushed before asking me... "Were... we a thing?"  
"Uh..."  
"Found it! Follow the smooth sound of my voice!"  
Saved by the bell.  
"Come on, let's go meet Edgemaster."  
"Okay! Come on, Maiko-san!"  
"O... Ok." She responded.  
Thank the Gods for Kin. Following his voice, we found him standing next to the portal. "Anyone?"  
"Not that I can find. After you."  
The ladies go first, then Kin and then myself. When we passed through, the girls were shocked.  
"Wow."  
"It's beautiful. This the fabled Proving Grounds, where the most powerful warriors are trained."  
"I wouldn't know about that, but we came out of here, so I guess there's a little merit behind your words."  
"Come, time for you to meet the big guy in charge," I announced while heading for Edgemaster's favorite mediation spot.  
As I predicted, he was there. What shocked me was his choice of words. "I've been waiting for you, Xan. It's good to see that you arrived here, safe and sound."  
"Wait, you've been expecting me?"  
"Yes. Using Purgatory, I came back in time with you, the perks of becoming a true Edgemaster."  
"I will never become an Edgemaster. Not right now, anyway."  
"Debatable, but it will not stop me from asking you."  
I see that Edgemaster still held high expectations of me.  
"Edgemaster, it's good to see you again."  
"Ah, Kin. My favorite Thief. How's Taki?"  
"In our time, I can guess she's furious with plenty of people, yourself and Angol Fear included. She was a newlywed, and now her husband is gone." Kin said with a similar tone of sadness as I.  
"My apologies to you both as you've given up a lot to come back into this timeframe. But the world is at stake, and you two answered the call. Gaia owes you two a debt it can never repay. Well, after you succeed in your duties. Now, who have you brought with you?"  
"Edgemaster, this is Akui and Maiko. They wish to learn from you, especially Maiko, as her style is currently incomplete."  
"Is that so? Come here, Maiko. Let me get a look at you."  
Maiko stepped up, and Edgemaster surveyed her. "You're swords are long. Are they Nodachis?"  
"No, Fujin and Raijin Maru are longer than O-Katanas but not nearly as long as an Odachi. They're about a centimeter longer than Xan's weapon."  
"I see. Follow me into the training ground. I'll do whatever I can to help complete your style. As for you, Akui, come as well. Xan, we can talk of you and Kin's next course of action afterward. Make yourselves comfortable for the time being." Edgemaster stated bluntly as he and the girls head to the sparring ground, leaving just Kin and myself alone.  
"Any idea on what to do next?"  
"None whatsoever. I mean, I have still this." I say as I take out my Holy Stone Fragment.  
"I don't remember it being this big."  
"The fragment he gave me this time was much bigger than the first. I was thinking of maybe traveling throughout Europe and Asia and disposing of every Soul Edge fragment we can find, using this as a pseudo guide."  
"A sound idea, except you don't know how to use it in that way."  
"I know, I know," I repeated before sitting down. Kin does the same. "So, you miss her?"  
Kin laughed a little, albeit sadly. "Of course I do. Who wouldn't miss their wife?"  
"Fair enough. You know we've been here for a few days, and I know that this was ultimately the right decision. At times, I wonder if I didn't come here and stayed in our time with Setsuka..."  
"Living in blissful ignorance might sound nice right now, but passing on the responsibility to the generations after us? That's another level of selfishness."  
"Even after everything we've done? We deserve peace. Ever stop to think about that?"  
"Of course I have. Having a beautiful ninja wife who's proven that she does care for you despite her normal stoic and expressionless behavior? I could've died as the happiest man in Japan."  
"I was well on my way. I mean, I was only starting, but still. I was envious of your relationship with her, you know? You two were made for each other."  
"Despite our short time together?"  
"Any man who can make someone like Taki-senpai smile like she did on your wedding day automatically becomes a role model for potential husbands everywhere."  
"I thank you, 友垣 (Friend). From the reaction you had with Setsuka, you miss her dearly."  
I was about to respond, but we heard a noise. We both stood and brandished our weapons. "Who's there?"  
The figures revealed themselves. I recognized one of them because it was Xianghua. Still, her companion I didn't know, and judging from his reaction, neither did Kin.  
"Calm yourselves. We aren't your enemy. We're also students of Edgemaster."  
We both ease our postures. "Good, you're calm. I'm Kilik, and with me is Xianghua. Who are you?"  
"I'm Xan, and this is Kin. Sorry for the hostility."  
"No problem. It just proves that you really were trained by Edgemaster. Have you come for a visit?"  
"In a sense. We're actually on a mission and waiting for him to give us our next direction."  
"Ah, you two must be powerful if I do not know of this."  
"Maybe it was a case of you not being there when they gave them this mission," Xianghua said with her usual bubbliness.  
I noticed that Kilik's Dvapara Yuga fragment was glowing dimly.  
"Hey, Kilik. Is it normal for your Dvapara Yuga fragment to be glowing like that?"  
"Somewhat, yes. But the reason why is a little tragic, and we just met so-"  
"Say no more. Sorry for bringing it up."  
"Hey, you two. Where are you guys from?"  
"Osaka."  
"And I'm from Tokyo."  
"Japanese men, huh? Crazy things are happening in your homeland."  
"You're tellin' us. What with Mitsuhide and Hisahide's rebellion against Nobunaga and company. But most of it is happening behind the scenes. Therefore, the civilians won't get caught in the bloodshed."  
It was then that Edgemaster returned to the room. Akui and Maiko followed, and they both looked beat up.  
"Ow. Was the asskicking that bad?"  
"It may have been arguably worse in our case. We were trained on short notice."  
"Regardless, you two have scouted two warriors with loads of potential. I'd be glad to train them."  
"I would jump up and down, but I'm super sore," Akui said as she took her shade off.  
Edgemaster then noticed his other students. "Ah, I see you have met Kilik and Xianghua. I hope you four are getting along."  
"Haven't found a reason to swing on them yet." I hit Kin on his shoulder. "Ow. It was a joke."  
"Master, these two have talked about a mission you gave them. What are they referring to?"  
"It's nothing worth concerning yourself with, Kilik. But since you two are here, how about a little sparring between you four?"  
"Sure! I wanna see how tough you two are after being told of this mission."  
Kilik definitely can hold a grudge for sure.  
"I don't see the harm. I need to warm up after all since it's been so long since I legitimately fought anyone. You, on the other hand, are rarin' to go after your attack on Bird's Eye Tower."  
"I guess."  
"Splendid. Kin, you will fight Xianghua, and Xan will fight Kilik. To the sparring grounds."  
We all headed for the Proving Grounds' battle arena. When we get there, Kin decides to be a little nostalgic.  
"It's been ages since we fought together like this..."  
"Hell, it's been ages since we worked together, period. Remember when we tortured Miser near the Suicide Forest?"  
"Haha! I do! It's a fond, damn good way to close that part of my life off." Kin responded happily as he pulled out a Kunai Knife.  
"Huh, no Blue Rose?"  
"Zasalamel broke it back at the Lost Cathedral, remember?"  
"Oh, he did. Yeah, save for Abyss' demise, I try to forget everything that happened there. But no matter how hard I try, I still remember how to get there," I said as I unsheathed the O-Katana and get into one of the many stances I knew.  
"Yeah, that makes sense. I try to forget that too, save for my proposal to Taki before the battle."  
"Good on you-"  
Kilik interrupted our little nostalgia trip, much to our annoyance. "Excuse me!"  
"We can reminisce later. Let's get this over with."  
"I agree."  
In the back, we here, Akui and Maiko cheering us on. "Go, Dragon-senpai! Go, Coin-senpai!"  
"You both have this under control! Serve them both!"  
"I'll start this battle off," Edgemaster stated as he got in the middle of us all.  
"Ready? Go!"  
I immediately closed the gap between myself and Kilik. He had a staff, so I'll be fine as long as I stayed in his face. I slashed at him, and he barely blocks it, allowing him to use the momentum from the block to quickly attack. I barely had time to stop his counter before he then used my forward momentum attack again. I tried to intercept Kilik but ended up getting nicked by his staff.  
"You're fast, Xan-kun. But if that's all, then you're not going to do well."  
He's a cocky one. Alright, think Xan. He's a staff wielder, so closing distance is the right idea, but what next? I can't block his attacks because he's feeling the contact to quickly recover and retaliate. Any of my techniques that are blocked will only revert to the former result. I have to hit skin or else don't bother, and instead of stopping, I should. Since his staff takes time to swing, if I dodge them, then I should be able to out-quick him because of how long it takes him to wind up.  
"Done fantasizing, Xan-kun? Or are you calling it quits already?"  
"Confident, are we? Well, sorry to say, but you've already lost. I've got ya figured out."  
"And I you. So now what?"  
"Don't come to a conclusion so fast," I said before changing stances so that I'm close to the ground.  
I then ran in again and go for an attack on his chest. He predicted it and went for a block, but I saw through it and stiffly kicked his knee, causing to falter in his defenses. I go for another attack and land a cut on his torso. He fell, so I went for another jab to his back.  
Contact.  
I go to knock him down with a kick on his fresh chest wound. Contact again, and he fell hard. I relaxed and took a few steps back before exhaling a deep breath.  
"C'mon, Kilik. Get up. You can do better than this, can't you?"  
He got up soon after, using his staff as a crutch before getting back into his stance. "Lucky shot."  
"Shots. I got you on your back, too."  
He took a second to feel on his back and touched on his wound, a small trinket of blood showing. "Incredible, but I'm not done yet."  
"Fair enough. Prepare yourself. We're just getting started."  
Slowly, I closed the distance between us before feigning an approach. Kilik fell for it and swung horizontally, hitting air. Using this as an opportunity, I sliced his stomach as he reactively grabbed the fresh wound. It granted me the chance to cut his wrist, holding the bottom of his staff, which loosened his grip. I kick the wrist wound, and he dropped his team before I used my other foot to kick it behind me.  
The advantage was clearly in my favor.  
Once again, I kicked his chest wound. Whenever you see an aliment, go straight for it. Kilik then swiftly adjusted the grip, adopting a Hirazuki-esque like stance before rushing in. I purposely initiated the stab early so I wouldn't injure him too severely. The O-Katana in response left a light puncture next to the chest wound I gave him.  
"Outstanding... I concede."  
"Good boy," I lauded before taking the Katana out of his chest.  
Kilik fell backward, but I caught him before he fell on his back, placing him gently on the floor as I used the Holy Stone Fragment to heal his injuries. The fragment glowed brighter than I imagined and shone brightly after finishing its job.  
What happened to this guy? Eh, I'll worry about it later.  
I glanced over at Kin and Xianghua and saw that Kin had tired her out. He parried her attack with a backhand slash before giving her a light wound on her abdomen with a retaliation slash before finally hitting her shin. He then slid and kicked her shin wound, which caused her to fall forward, using his momentum to simultaneously do a kip-up, batting the weapon out of her hand as it fell behind him. When he got on his feet, he tackled Xianghua, causing them both to crash on the floor with Kin on top. He then slammed his Kunai right next to her face before getting up.  
"That's it! The victors are Xan and Kin!"  
I wiped the blood off my sword before sheathing it. Kin took his Kunai out of the ground before helping Xianghua up. "Are you alright?"  
"Besides the butt-kicking you just gave me? I'm fine; you're terrific, Kin-senpai!"  
"That went well."  
"Yes. I noticed you with my peripheral vision. You gave Kilik quite the thrashing."  
"Don't worry, I already healed his wounds. He's resting right now."  
Our pseudo cheerleaders expressed happiness at our victory. "Whoo! Go Dragon-senpai! Yay Coin-senpai!"  
"That was incredible! I can see why you two are the senpais, and we're the young ones."  
Edgemaster joined them from behind. "I trained these two well."  
"You're styles are so unique and varied. I've never seen anything like it."  
I looked at Kin, and he shrugged. "Our stories carved our fighting methods. The first lesson Edgemaster taught us was that true masters base their style off a single concept. We're no exceptions to this."  
"What are your concepts?" Maiko asked with innocent curiosity.  
"I based mine off of survivability. When I was a child, I was dirt poor, my parents unable to find work. I took to being a thief at an early age and based my fighting style in thievery in case I got caught and had to defend myself. But I prioritized escaping as opposed to killing somebody. As a result, my style was unrefined. Edgemaster helped me complete it."  
"And you, Dragon-senpai?"  
"I couldn't find a concept to base my style off of, originally. When I started training with Edgemaster, I was tasked with a heavy-duty and didn't have a lot of time to prepare. So, I based my concept on time, or a lack thereof. That's why I'm so analytical. My time with Edgemaster made me lose my mercy filter and prioritized, killing people as opposed to proving my superiority. I was a duelist a while ago, so that's why I prioritized something so... vain on paper."  
"You based your style on a lack of time?"  
"Looking back, it made sense. When we fought, our skill gap was a contributing factor to my swift defeat. Plus, fighting Xan-senpai is like diving into a room with the lights off. You have no idea what to expect. Even if you know the general layout, something different can be presented. The best way to fight Xan-senpai is to be extremely careful as it's hard to do so when he's approaching. You have to rely on your baser instincts. If they aren't honed, then a loss is most likely going to be the end result."  
We all stared at Maiko with looks of shock, her face flushed all the way to her ears. "I guess I'm already improving in my short time here. Hehe."  
"And it was because of his concept, he came up with a new way to approach."  
"Oh yes! The Hirazuki!"  
"The Hirawha?" Xianghua repeated, confused.  
"Xan, please demonstrate."  
I unsheathed the O-Katana, placing it parallel to the ground near my shoulder before gripping the sword by the hilt. I bend my knees slightly with more pressure on my back knee.  
"This is the Hirazuki stance. It's designed to focus on versatility and the main technique of approach I call the 'Gatotsu.' Essentially, it's a powerful thrust with small and few weak points directed toward the shoulder. However, other parts of the torso can be targeted, with practice. There's also an overhead variant in case I plan on targeting the head." I explain as I reposition the sword overhead.  
"With enough strength and training, you can pierce through nearly anything. What I learned with Edgemaster, all this training of the Hirazuki had me indirectly create a school of dual-wielding. It's pretty much Hirazuki, but modifications are made to do so with two swords, creating a more aggressive approach."  
"Wow. How long did you train with Edgemaster?"  
"A year and a half. After everything settled, I returned, and after a few months, I finished."  
"Training you was a joy from day one, and I'll ensure sure you two are closer to Kin and Xan."  
"How long should we stay with you? As amazing an offer as this is, I would still love to travel with Dragon-senpai and Coin-senpai."  
"I agree with Akui-chan."  
"I'll let you two leave after two months unless you wish to learn some more. But I think that will suffice."  
"Don't let us keep you. But before we go, we should get a general idea of where to go or what to do next."  
"Right. Kin, Xan, follow me."  
We follow Edgemaster to the private quarters. "You have been making good use of the Holy Stone Fragment. I could see the blinding light from Bird's Eye Tower from here."  
"Sheesh, that place was infected from every single centimeter."  
"There are multiple things and places I want you two to go and do. As it stands, although you're immense strength, Nightmare is more of a threat than ever and will beat you both in the state he's currently in. I want you to travel to various spots around Asia and Europe and purify landmarks of evil. On the way, if you find any Soul Edge fragments, purify them. Doing so will render them void and borderline useless to Nightmare, as well as weaken him. Bird's Eye Tower was the only the beginning of your mass purification of this world, Xan. I will say that this threat is nowhere near drastic as with Zasalamel and Abyss. Sooner or later, you'll find yourselves in Ostrheinsburg, but I'm confident you two will be more than capable."  
"Thank you, Edgemaster."  
"Is there a place we should head to first?"  
"I suggest you two return to Japan and end the struggling conflict there. The battles have reached their final stages. After doing so, travel across the island and purify the battlefields of corruption the wars have brought upon them. Afterward, return here. Akui and Maiko should be finished with their initial training, and then I'll tell you where to head next."  
"Of course, Edgemaster. We'll return here when we do."  
"Excellent. Any questions before you head out?"  
"I have one. I sensed a faint level of corruption in Kilik's soul. I can tell that the Dvapara Yuga he carries is not solely for decoration."  
"Remember, during your initial journey with Shun, how I told you of a Monk who slaughtered his fellow Monks due to Soul Edge's influence?"  
"I vaguely recall it."  
"Kilik was the Monk who performed the massacre and murdered Xianglian, who he held in high regard. The weight of guilt he carries is heavy, and if emotionally struck, he may lose himself. The Dvapara Yuga strap I gave him is to keep his soul in check."  
"To think."  
"Yes, and you've seen how it affects his attitude. He's now slightly overconfident and quick to judge. Now that I have some more students with me, maybe I can completely purify his soul. If not, then I will do my best to help control this power."  
Kin and I stood up. "Well, Edgemaster. We'll leave that to you."  
"It was nice as always to see you again."  
"Of course. You two, as you know, are always welcome here. Now to tend to my new students." Edgemaster stated as he exited the room.  
"Well, Xan. Looks like it's going to be just us guys for now."  
"So it seems. Reminds me of our short time traveling through Romania."  
"Yup, when we ran into Raphael and Amy."  
"Memories." We say in unison as we head for the portal to Japan. On the way, we were stopped by Xianghua.  
"Xianghua, you sure you should be up and about?"  
"Kin, the gentleman. But Edgemaster healed my wounds and suggested that I join you! I won't be a burden! Promise!"  
"Not to worry. We're confident you can pull your weight with us. We're happy to have you."  
"Awesome! Let's get this journey underway!" Xianghua exclaimed as she wrapped her arm around Kin's.  
We all headed for the portal and went through to end up in Japan, our ears immediately picking up the sound of metal clashing in the distance.  
"What could be going on?"  
"Sounds like a battle in Osaka. Come on! We have to end this! You heard Edgemaster! Let's go!"  
We all jet towards Osaka, and upon arrival, we noticed Nene fighting who I assumed were rebels.  
"Nene-chan! We're here to help!"  
She finished off her opponent before noticing us, running as quickly as she could. "Xan-kun, it's great to see you! Toyotomi-sama is stuck at the Jyurakudai Villa, fighting the rebel captain, Hisahide Matsunaga. You have to go help him!"  
"Xianghua and I will head to the Villa. Since most of the rebels are in town, you deal with them as you're better for fighting small armies than I am."  
"Sounds like a plan. After we clear the town and certify the safety of the civilians, we'll head for the Villa ourselves. Hopefully by the time we get there, the battle will already be over."  
"One can hope. Let's go, Xianghua."  
"Of course! We'll see you soon, ok?"  
"Ok," I respond as I put my mask on and unsheathed the Orchicalcum Katana and the O-Katana.  
"You ready, Nene-chan?"  
"With you by my side, I feel unstoppable."  
"I admire your bravado. Let's do this."  
We head for the center point of town where most of the rebel army foot soldiers were. They noticed us and announced as such. "It's Nene! And it looks like she has a bodyguard! Triple pay for the soldier who brings me their heads!"  
That brought the morale up, but I instantly started my assault on the army alongside Nene. One by one, they fell like rain. I couldn't remember if they could even get any retaliation off how fast we cleared the area. With blinding speed, the two of us disposed of every last rebel, save for a few.  
"Nene-chan, head for the Villa and help Kin and the others."  
"Are you sure? You can finish up here?"  
"Yes, go ahead without me."  
"Ok. Don't do anything rash, Xan-kun!" she said as she headed for the Villa.  
I sighed through my mask and looked at my outfit, noticing it's covered in blood. Baba would be losing her mind right now. I chuckled at the thought before looking around at the corpses decorated the bloodstained area.  
*Sigh* "War sucks."  
"Wh-who are you? Are you even human?"  
"Would you believe me if I said yes? Besides, you're the ones who're rebelling. You came into battle with the expectation that you may survive? That's not the mentality you should be having as foot soldiers. You can die at any time in a war. Playing it safe can only get you so far."  
"We wanted a free Japan! Lord Chosokabe said we were fighting for a just cause!"  
"Your Lord has led you to your grave," I stated coldly before start walking towards the frightened soldiers.  
"D-d-don't just stand there! Attack!"  
They all attack but were all rough and rugged in their approach. I killed two of them before they hit the floor. Another foot soldier attacked, but I jammed my swords into their kidneys, killing him instantly. After taking my blades out, I turned to the Captain, who is armed with a rifle.  
"N-n-n-n-not another step-"  
"A Rifle, huh? It isn't going to help save your life!"  
I threw the Orchicalcum Katana in my left hand as I continued to close the gap between us. The Captain fired a shot off, and I instinctively block it with the Katana I held.  
This blade is really durable!  
I underestimated Orchicalcum's durability despite the high standard I already held for it. I jumped and cleaved the Captain and the Rifle in two. That was it. Osaka's primary area of society had been cleared. Looking at the Orchicalcum Katana, not a stain of blood was seen.  
"A strange sword, this one is."  
I then pulled out the Holy Stone Fragment. It glowed violently and once again whitened the area. When I could see, the blood that plagued the city was removed. I'm still shocked by the power of this fragment. I put it away, and from my left, I heard a voice belonging to a kid.  
"Wow!"  
I look to my left and saw a little girl. It was her voice. I was starting to feel a bit fatigued as I sheathed the Orchicalcum Katana.  
"Are you like a Hero or something?"  
I chuckle and walk up to the little girl and kneel, so we're leveled. I rough her hair up and smile a little. "Shō-sha (Little One), I'm no hero," I said before heading for the Villa.  
While her voice faded, I could make out. "You are to me, Mr. Hero!"  
I chuckled again and started running towards the Villa to see Kin, Xianghua, Nene, and Toyotomi as well as Kokonoe and Setsuka, who had her Umbrella Sword. And I can make out the corpses, I see Nobunaga, Nohime, and who I assumed was Hisahide Matsunaga.  
"Xan! You made it!"  
"Yeah, nothin' Nene-chan and I couldn't handle. It seems like we won the day. But at what cost?"  
"Lord Oda is gone as well as Lady Nohime."  
"There's no need for the agony, beloved. He was supposed to be gone at Honno-ji. The fact that he survived this long was astounding in of itself."  
"Toyotomi, we may haven't met yet, but your wife is correct."  
"Yes, you must be Xan. We finally meet, if under difficult circumstances."  
"Well, the battle is over. The civilians are safe as far as I can tell. The only thing left to do now is clear the Villa and the city of corpses."  
"We will clear the Villa first, as you live here, and it is getting rather late."  
"Leave that to me. You can head out, Toyotomi-kun. We'll talk more tomorrow."  
"If you insist, Xan. I will see you tomorrow. Come, Nene!"  
"Yes, Milord!" The pair leave.  
Kin and Xianghua walk up to me. "Everything went well on your end?"  
"As well as can be. I already purified the center of town, so that's one down. A fuck ton left to go."  
"Slow but steady, Xan."  
"By the time we got here, the battle was concluding, but we joined to help. Then Nene showed up."  
"Yeah, she's a better fighter than I thought. This Orchicalcum Katana is pretty powerful as well."  
"You took her for a test spin?"  
"It stopped a bullet."  
"Whoa... that's some durability. When we had it appraised, the blacksmith said that you were a lucky bastard to have it."  
"I can see why."  
Kokonoe and Setsuka walk up to our group. "I knew you were tough, but I saw what you and Nene did in the center of the city. It's like your inhuman. I'd definitely like to go a few rounds with you."  
"We still gotta job to do, so that duel is gonna have to wait."  
"What are your plans now? And where are your lady companions?"  
"There in the Himalayas. Our Master is training them both."  
"So, all three of you were trained by the same Master?" We all nod in unison. "Small world. You guys staying here tonight?"  
"I kinda live here. There are enough rooms for all of us."  
"There are. Just wondering if you would have us."  
"Don't worry about it. We'll be out of Osaka in about two days. It'll be like we were never here at all. But I'm feelin' a little tired, so I'm going to go take a shower before getting some sleep."  
"We'll see ya in the mornin', Xan."  
I waved at Kin as I go to clean myself off. While washing, I feel a couple of fresh wounds on my chest and back, presumably from my tirade on Bird's Eye Tower and the center of Osaka taking its toll.  
I have to be more careful.  
I'm a lot more sturdy than I was during my first and second journeys, but still not invincible. I go to wash my lower back, but the wounds are preventing me from getting there.  
"I'll help you with that."  
From behind, I see Setsuka completely nude. I was going to complain, but she immediately started gently washing my back wound.  
"What are you doing here? If Kokonoe sees us-"  
"Master Kokonoe is asleep, and he's a heavy sleeper. He won't be awake until morning."  
"But you still didn't answer my question."  
"I'm here to thank you. Don't tell me you forgot about how you rescued me from Bird's Eye Tower?"  
"No, I remember. It was only yesterday, after all. But why go through such lengths solely for a thank you?"  
"Because... I'm fond of you, ok? I… I know it's sappy, and that you won't be here for long, but... your mystique has done much more than pique my interest."  
I turned around to see her face covered by her hair, which was laid down. Gods, she looks so beautiful. I told her to do it more when we officially started seeing each other in the future, and she only complied about a few weeks before I was sent here.  
"How long have you been keeping your hair down?"  
Even with the steam forming from the hot water, I could make out tears in her eyes, her response all I needed to hear. "Since the day you told me I looked like a Goddess with it down."  
"Oh, my Gods." I was stunned. "Setsuka... you came back to the past?"  
And that's when she hugged me deeply, the tears pouring down her face. "I missed you so much! Having you become such a pivotal part of my life only for you to disappear because of Edgemaster's bullshit! It was like you died! When he told me he was headed back, I demanded him to bring me with him! I wanted to be with you again."  
"Setsuka, it's ok. I'm here now."  
I did my best to wipe the tears before she brought me in for another hug, this one deeper than the last. I felt her warm hands softly coil around my neck, her lips softly resting on top of mine. Her moans were soft but apparent. It was clear what she wanted if her next words meant anything.  
"Xan... make love to me tonight."  
Who am I to deny my Empress what she desired?


	3. Errors in Time

I awoke and quickly left the room after getting dressed. Don't want to strut around the Jyurakudai Villa in the nude, even if it is my home. Recollecting the events of last night, I did something I probably shouldn't have.  
Sleeping with Setsuka.  
That didn't seem like a stellar idea. What if Kokonoe caught us? I could've screwed history forever. I need to put my feelings for Setsuka aside, as it's too risky to engage with her. If I were even less careless, I could've jeopardized the entire reason why I came here. I've already ruined enough lives and need to start thinking of the bigger picture.  
I went to the main hall where the bodies laid, reaching for my Holy Stone fragment. However, it's not in my coat pocket. Damn, I left it on the bedside table. I ran back into my room and see that Setsuka's asleep.  
Good.  
Quickly, I grabbed the fragment and got out. I raised the stone up and practically covered the entire villa in white light. When I can see again, the bodies were gone completely.  
"You're really powerful, aren't you?" I said to the Holy Stone fragment.  
A hand placed itself on my shoulder. I turned and saw it's Kin. "You're up early."  
"I woke up realizing that I could've made a big mistake. I wanted to get out of the room before ending up depressed."  
"Whoa, what happened?" he asked.  
I told him of the night I spent with Setsuka. The whole time, he had a bewildered look on his face.  
"So, our Setsuka is currently here sleeping in the other room because she followed Edge Master?"  
"Yes, I just told you that. Anyway, after I got dressed and took the stone, I purified the villa."  
"Which explains why I couldn't see anything briefly. On a brighter note, I had Toyotomi give me this." He waggled a map of Japan in his hand.  
"A map of Japan?"  
"Not just any map. Let me show you what I mean."  
We went into one of the unoccupied rooms where Kin displayed the map. Spread across it were red X's, a yellow circle at the western edge.  
"The red X's were battlefields during the rebellion. The yellow circle is Osaka, our current location. There's an X across the edges of Japan, a few in the middle. We can travel around the island and purify the battlefields we find along the way. Before we head back here, we'll head down the middle path and purify those areas."  
"How long will it take us to purify the entire island?"  
"Give or take about a month. The nearest X will take us all day if we leave Osaka within the next few hours. We should stock up on supplies since we're going to be away from society once we leave the city."  
"Fair enough. You get the supplies since you have better eyes than me for this."  
"Very true. I'll go now, you stay here and look cool or somethin'." He said as he closed the map and went out of the room.  
At least we have a plan.  
As I left the room, I needed some air and went out to one of the many balconies. While leaning on the guard rails, I couldn't notice someone walking up behind me before feeling two soft hands wrap around my waist as something pressed on my back.  
"Good morning."  
"Setsuka, you shouldn't be doing this."  
I turned around but couldn't get another word out as she kissed me deeply. I was too serious and lost in thought to return it.  
Noticing my reluctance, Setsuka pulled away. "What's wrong? I thought I displayed my affections enough for you yesterday."  
"Yesterday?" I inquired to confirm my suspicions.  
I don't know if my mind was playing tricks on me, but Setsuka looked younger to me. Something's not right.  
"Come now, Xan. When I kissed you on the cheek in front of your friends? Especially those two girls?"  
My eyes narrowed. "Why Maiko and Akui specify?"  
Somehow, Setsuka from my time was replaced with Setsuka from the present. I have a ton of questions for Angol-sama next time I see her.  
"You may not notice, but those two have a desire to be more than friends with you. And since they're in the Himalayas," Setsuka trailed my chest with her hands. "I have you to myself."  
"Not really. Kin and I plan on leaving Osaka in a couple of hours."  
"Well then..." She began tracing my neck and collarbone with wet kisses. "Let's not waste time."  
"What are you- Oh my."  
Much to my surprise (and horror), Setsuka quickly disrobed to expose her nude body, remaining flawless despite being four years younger. I couldn't help but widen my eyes at sight. This is a younger Setsuka I'm talking about, after all.  
I shook my head to get back in the mood. "What if Kokonoe-Kun sees us?"  
"I don't care. I want you right now." Setsuka's sultry tone was hard to ignore as she swayed toward me. "Please... take me."  
Backing up, I had no place to go as I hit the railing. Any further would've dropped me close to thirty feet. Damn it all. I saw out of the corner of my eye that Xianghua watching us. Setsuka had closed her eyes in anticipation of molding our mouths and bodies together.  
Looking back at Xianghua, I mouthed, "Help me."  
She nodded and swung the door open. "Hey, Xan- Oh my God!"  
Setsuka's eyes snapped open, her face turning into a crimson red before swiftly grabbing her kimono to put back on her bare person. She did not look happy about being disturbed.  
"Sorry. Was I interrupting something?"  
Sensing that Setsuka would possibly say something vulgar in anger, I cut her off. "Not at all. We'll talk later, Setsuka."  
I then quickly peck her lips, relieved that Xianghua was there before I made another enormous mistake. When I go to move, I feel her hand grab on my coat hard.  
She then came up to my ear and whispered seductively, "Next time I see you, I'll rock your world. Mark my words handsome."  
To put an exclamation point on that statement, Setsuka slapped my ass. Hard. I flushed as I walked with Xianghua out of the balcony, who tried diligently to not stifle up laughter but failed miserably when we reached a safe distance away from the balcony.  
"Hahahaha! You sure you wanted me to barge in like that? Looked like she was going to give you the time of your life!"  
"Very funny, Xianghua. The last thing I need on my conscience is the fact that I slept with Kokonoe's student only a few days after meeting them." I then hugged her hip. "But thanks for the save. You're a good actress."  
She giggled. "Thanks, and you're welcome. I hope that doesn't come back to bite you in the butt later."  
"All I know is that I'm not hesitant about leaving after what just happened."  
"Speaking of leaving, where's Kin?"  
"He went into town to gather supplies for our trek. We're going around the island to purify battlefields and corrupted landmarks of their malice and corruption."  
"Oh. After what I just saw, I wouldn't be surprised if he had a booty call."  
Now it was my turn to laugh. "Believe me, he's the type of person to be loyal to his significant other."  
"Really? Interesting," she said curiously.  
"Don't get any ideas. We're on a mission, so that means no ass for you."  
Xianghua pouted. "Buzzkill."  
"Anyway, I'm going to get my weapons. I'll see you soon."  
"Ok. Try not to get raped by Setsuka in the meantime."  
"No promises," I said instantly.  
I head back to my room, which was now empty with Setsuka up and about. When I entered, the door quickly closed with a hard slam. My eyes widened. C'mon, I just promised I wasn't going to get raped by Setsuka! Luckily for me, it wasn't Setsuka I saw after turning around.  
Angol Fear.  
I sighed a breath of relief. "Oh, it's you, Angol-sama."  
She fought back an amused smile. "Quite the womanizer you are."  
"Not really. But since you're here, I have a couple of questions to ask you."  
"Speak your mind, Dragon."  
"Setsuka."  
Angol looked surprised but kept her composure. "Nothing escapes you, I see. Yes, the Setsuka you encountered last night was, in fact, from your time. It wasn't right of Edge Master to send her back here without my consent, but I decided to let her have her way with you before sending her back to the present. You may have already noticed, but the Setsuka from this time does not know of this encounter. I was ready to smite Edge Master, but after seeing how much she missed you, I granted him a pass."  
"That explains everything," I muttered before grabbing the Katanas.  
"Is the Orichalcum Katana serving you well?"  
"It has to this point." I inspected the blade. "I knew Orichalcum was a strong metal, but to think that it can stop bullets."  
"I can safely assume that it can do much more for you, Xan. But you still use your regular O-Katana more often. Why restrict yourself?"  
"Force of habit. This O-Katana helped me win so many important battles. Since the Nodachi broke in the final moments against Abyss, familiarity is a strong suit, Angol-sama."  
"I see. Well, you and Kin are doing a fine job, but do not forget that I gave you that sword to make your job easier. I suggest you familiarize yourself with it. The faster you finish your job, the faster you can finally relax."  
I look down in thought. "Don't think so hard on it. You're to start your trek with Kin and the Chinese woman today, yes?"  
Raising a questioning eyebrow, I nodded.  
"Xianghua, the one who originally defeated Inferno in Astral Chaos. However, she knows not of her destiny. At any rate, I'm getting off-topic. Any other questions?"  
I thought hard and fast. "Is history done for by my actions?"  
She swiftly shook her head. "If it was, I would inform you. You're only human, and you two were close. The timeline found that it made sense, so history hasn't been altered. Do not worry and keep focus."  
"Then, I have nothing else for you, Angol-sama."  
"Very well. I will leave now. Best of luck. And remember, I'm watching you."  
Angol Fear then just disappeared. I shrugged it off as if nothing happened, though stranger things have occurred. I grabbed my swords and exit, but Kokonoe stopped me before I can take my leave.  
"A word."  
"Sure, Kokonoe. What's up?"  
"Have you seen Setsuka? I wish to ask her something."  
Not good, but I decided to not give myself away. "I saw her around one of the balconies. I'm not really used to the layout, so I'm unsure which one specifically, though."  
He sighed. "Well, at least it narrows down the areas where I should search. My thanks."  
I nodded in response before heading the door, but he stopped me by grabbing my arm. "Am I missing something?"  
"I know you have an important task ahead of you, but when you come back from whatever journey you're currently undertaking, I would appreciate a fight with you."  
"Why do you insist on a duel with me? My days of fighting for pride are long done."  
"But you're so young. How can you say that?"  
"Believe me, Kokonoe-Kun. Being the son of a Legendary Duelist is bad enough as is."  
His eyes widened. "You're the child of the Demoness of Kyoto!?"  
"Shhhhh! That knowledge does not leave this villa. Only Kin, Akui, and Maiko know. The Moon Pheasants knew, and they're dead now, so keep quiet on that factoid. You do that, and I'll duel you when my journey is complete."  
Kokonoe nodded intently. "You have my word."  
"My thanks, Kokonoe."  
Finally, I exited the villa heading to the heart of the city. I see that the corpses from last night are still present, the surviving civilians passing by looking at them in shock. This war has to end soon, considering that Nobunaga is dead.  
From what I heard, his children are foolish, so maybe they'll drag his army to the ground. While pondering that notion, I felt a tugging on my coat, the source being the little girl from last night. I kneel down so that we're leveled.  
"Hi, Mister!"  
"Little one, what are you doing out here? You shouldn't see this at your age."  
"I know, but you're here, so I feel safe." She said happily.  
I roughed up her hair. "What's your name?"  
"Sonia!"  
That sounds European. "But you're Japanese, are you not?"  
She nods swiftly.  
"Sonia, is there something you're not telling me?" I asked playfully.  
"Mmhmm!"  
"Care to tell?"  
She was about to answer, but a woman who looked a little older than me rushed up to us. I stood back up.  
"Sonia! What did I tell you about wandering off?" the woman who I assume was the mother asked.  
"Sorry, Mommy. But this is the guy beat all the bad guys last night!"  
Sonia said as she happily pointed at me. Sheesh child, at this rate, you might as well let the whole city know.  
"Is this true?"  
I know better than to deny the claims of a child. And I did kill most of the rebels. So I say quietly.  
"Yes. Don't tell anyone, please. I'm planning on leaving Osaka in a few hours, so I'd prefer it if you didn't let anyone know of that."  
"Of course. I'm Anna."  
And so that's why her name is Sonia. Her mother is European.  
"Xan. A pleasure. Are you from Europe by any chance?"  
"Yes. I'm from England."  
"One of my closest friends is from London," I said as Kin approached me with the supplies in tow.  
"Got 'em all. We're ready to head out."  
"Awesome. We should go get Xianghua."  
"No need. I already sent word. She's on her way down from the villa."  
I forgot how fast Kin works.  
"Good. Anna, Sonia. It was nice meeting you both. But we have to go now."  
Xianghua then turned up. "Hey! What'd I miss?"  
"Nothing important. Let's go," I said as we all head towards the south gates.  
"Goodbye, Mr. Xan! Until next time!" I hear Sonia yell as her voice becomes an echo to my ears.  
"Someone is getting along well with kids."  
"Odd, huh? Definitely a far cry from a few months ago. I remember when a group of kids would run at first sight. Now I can actually talk to one. Improvements," I joked.  
"Where's our first stop?"  
Kin took out the map that Toyotomi gave him. "Let's see. From the look of things, Honnouji."  
"What a coincidence. We saw Nobunaga's corpse last night, and now we're heading to the temple where he lodged."  
"Best be careful when we arrive there. I sense somethin' fishy."  
"Noted. But we still got a ways to go until we get there."  
We kept walking for a while in silence until Kin finally broke it. "How do you think Maiko and Akui are doing?"  
"Probably stressed out, tired, maybe even frustrated with how much better Edge Master is than them combined."

It's only been a day, and I've already produced enough sweat to fill a pond. Edge Master is way more skilled than Akui and I. Personally, I feel like I spent more time kneeling for breath rather than standing up. I always found myself using my swords as crutches to even get back on my feet. Akui passed out from fatigue before I did, leaving me as the only one who's conscious.  
"I see much improvement, Maiko! The next two months will go by quickly at this rate."  
I looked up at Edge Master, barely having the energy to move. "You're seeing something I can't, Edge Master. I feel like all I've been doing is getting beat up by the elderly."  
He stroked his beard. "My apologies, but I always do a combat test of my students for a few days before I actually start teaching. Despite your style being incomplete, you still fight much better than Akui."  
Looking at Akui's unconscious body, it seems she's having trouble sleeping, her shade over her face, and her bodysuit torn in different areas. She still had the Chevalier tightly clutched in her hand. I readied myself again, and Edge Master mentioned my state.  
"Are you sure, Maiko? You can barely stand. I admit that I gave you quite the aggression. We should stop and rest."  
"If I can stand, then I can fight."  
Edge Master sighed disappointedly. "Ahh, you're just like Xan when he started, very eager to learn despite the short time he had. You mirror him. Like I said beforehand, I fight you now because I need to know your weaknesses to know what to work on first. Pace yourself, Maiko."  
I loosened up, and Edge Master nodded in acceptance. "Very good. Help me with Akui. She took taken quite the beating and has a lot to work on, more than you for certain."  
We walked over and hoisted up Akui's body. I placed my swords in their scabbards and go to help Edge Master. The moment I touched Chevalier, she kicks awake. Her shade flies to another side of the battleground.  
"I'm awake! I'm awake!"  
"Akui, good to see that you're up and about. Can you stand?" Edge Master asked as I picked up her shade.  
I turned back around to see that Akui tried getting back to her feet but stumbled onto her butt. "Ow. No, I can't. Not on my own."  
"It is alright. Maiko, if you don't mind."  
"Not at all. Here, Akui," I said as I handed her shade over.  
"Thanks."  
We both stand Akui up and sling her arms over our shoulders.  
"Maiko-san, how are you still standing? Did Edge Master not beat you harshly?"  
"Make no mistake, Akui. I feel terrible, and I'm sore all over. I think after we lay you down, I may pass out from fatigue myself. And I don't think that the fighting with Edge Master isn't going to end for another couple of days."  
"I believe we're officially done with the direct sparring portion of your training. Starting tomorrow, we can officially begin verbal instruction. But for now, you two must rest after a good showing today. I will personally address your wounds." Edge Master proclaimed as we made our way to the rest area.  
We laid down Akui on one of the beds. "Maiko. A word before you go to bed."  
"Sure," I said before we left out of Akui's earshot. "What is it?"  
"You hold much promise in battle, your potential rivaling that of Xan when he started."  
On reaction, my face flushed red.  
"You... think so? He's an amazing swordsman. That much is clear."  
"I've lived long enough to realize what I speak of. His mother was an outstanding swordswoman as well. I assume you've met her before, correct?"  
"Yes, I've met Ms. Shio, a very nice lady."  
"Your refusal to give up when the odds were against you are also reminiscent of Xan when he began under my tutelage. You're a duelist as well?"  
"Was. I found work as a merchant's bodyguard but left soon after. She treated me like property and forced a new identity on me because of how I left my opponents after a duel. I despise her, on top of something else, but lack the strength to confront both these problems." I said darkly.  
"Ah, yes, I have heard of her. Lyla, I presume?"  
"Yes, Edge Master."  
"She hails from a family of merchants who harbor no qualms about gaining a sale. Your resentment towards her is just, but why do you despise the Fu-Ma Clan?"  
I clench my fist to restrain the anger and disdain I held for them, but it didn't stop shaking. "They murdered my family, both my Mother and Father. And for that, they all must die."  
Edge Master took hold of my shoulders. "Calm yourself, Maiko. It's natural to feel anger after what you went through, but don't let it consume you. Holding in anger such as yours for so long will only impede your progress."  
I calm down slightly as Edge Master released me. "We will begin your instruction tomorrow. On my honor, Maiko, we will finish your family's style."  
"Thank you, Edge Master. It's the only way I can properly honor their memory."  
"It will be a pleasure to train you both. Go and rest now."  
I bowed in respect. "I will see you in the morning."  
Edge Master returned my bow before exiting the room. I go back to where Akui was, and she was sleeping soundly. Or was she?  
"Akui? Are you asleep?"  
"...No. I heard everything."  
"Oh. Well, there you go. The Fu-Ma Clan killed my parents while Lyla treated me like garbage."  
"She was the one who gave you the name Shura?"  
"Yes. I just wanted to better my swordplay. She abused my want for knowledge."  
"It's ok. Nobunaga Oda killed all whom I considered family. I thought I was alone until Yoshimitsu-sama found me." Akui said as I get into the bed next to hers.  
Then, I see a tattoo of what looked like a demon on her back.  
"And now on top of that, I have Coin-senpai, you, and Xan-senpai. I have friends again, and I can't be any happier about that."  
It was then I noticed she said Xan's name like she was intent on being more than friends with him. "Why'd you say Xan's name like that?"  
"I want to be his lover, Maiko-san. I want us to be together and have many children."  
Call me a psychic. "You can't."  
"Huh?" Akui turned to face me in confusion. "Why not?"  
"'Because I'm going to be his. I know men like Xan-senpai, and he doesn't like uppity bright girls like yourself. He likes a calm, reserved kind of girl... like me."  
She scoffed or tried to as we were both still in pain. "I'm definitely Xan's type! We're friends, Maiko-san, and nothing will change that. But Xan and I will be together!"  
"No, you won't," I said calmly. "I'll bet on it."  
"We'll see." Akui turned in her bed. "Good night..."  
I got comfortable but couldn't fall asleep right away. Ugh, I can't believe I'm going to be pushed into a love triangle. But, if it's for Xan's hand, then I'll play along. Thoughts of him consumed my mind as I finally let fatigue take me away into a deep slumber.

The three of us continued walking to Honno-ji. We all universally agreed that no one would be there. We'll take an hour or two to be tourists, then we'll have Xan purify the place.  
"Be tourists? Kin, we don't have time. I'd rather be ahead of schedule," he said in a mellow tone.  
"Oh, come on, Xan. Despite everything we've gone through, we should still relax. Remember, Edge Master always said to pace yourself and never overwork. We'll get sloppy if we put all our effort in at once. Pacing was always your problem when it came to getting things done. Cut loose." I responded.  
"Pacing is your problem, Kin. You always waited until the last minute to get your job done," Xan countered.  
"If it's done, it's done. Besides, it's not our time limit is strict. You know that this task may take years?"  
"I know, but-"  
"But nothin'. We took up the task, so it's best not to rush. Let's take our time and do the job properly rather than half-ass it."  
"Yeah, Xan! Loosen up a little. You got an important job, sure, but that's no excuse to live a little."  
"I can live after we do this." He simply stated.  
I huffed. "I hate when you do this."  
"Do what, Kin?" He asked, annoyed.  
"Act serious all the damn time. What happened to the relaxed guy a week ago?"  
"If you couldn't tell, the world is on the brink of destruction. We have people who wish for our safety, and we're strapped for time. Can you take the task given with a little bit of seriousness?"  
"Hey! You're not the only one who made sacrifices to assure the safety of the world, Xan!" I shot back. "As your friend and partner, I'm telling you that you're taking this too seriously and that you need to calm yourself."  
We stared each other down, tension rising at an alarming rate. His words cut like a sword through the silence. "I'm going ahead."  
Anger was hidden in his calm tone before Xan walked ahead of Xianghua and myself. She tried to stop him, but I didn't allow it. "Let him go."  
"What? Why?"  
"Xan does this often. Keep a secret?"  
She nodded. I sighed. "Xan and I are from four years in the future where there was peace across the land. Sounds crazy, I know."  
"Then why did you and Xan come back?"  
"In 204 years, the Earth will be destroyed because of Soul Edge's creation. We were sent back to destroy Soul Edge so Earth could be spared. However, we both sacrificed a lot to do this, a peaceful Earth being only the tip of the iceberg. We should give him some time to vent his anger. I let my anger go when I went to get the supplies."  
She nodded. "Do you know me in the future?"  
"Yes, quite well, actually. I won't say anything else as I don't want to jeopardize our future," I said as we continued walking before wrapping her arm around mine. "But having you around is nice."  
"Aww, you're so sweet."  
"I'm genuine. I like your bubbly, energetic personality and admire your skill with a sword... and I think you are lovely."  
Xianghua made a coy expression, her tone flirtatious. "Are you saying you're single, Kin?"  
I matched it in kind. "Let's just say I'm keeping my options open. Maybe my future lies with you. Who knows?"  
Being from the future is remarkable in hindsight. Flirting becomes twice as easy.  
"Time will tell, won't it?" she retorted with a cheeky smile. "But since we're alone…" Xianghua then leaned in and pecked my lips. "We should catch up with Xan. He's probably far ahead."  
"You may be right. Let's go."  
We sped up, but I felt a presence watching us from afar. I had a feeling I knew who it was but relaxed as to not alarm Xianghua. She's not as powerful in our time than now. Besides, she doesn't know that we're married in the future and can't be mad since she doesn't know me.  
Being from the future's nice.

Kin and I argued, which was bound to happen at some point.  
He's easygoing while I'm not. We never clashed in the first journey because we had Baba, Aeon, and Taki with us. At least we're good friends, but I need time to calm down and pace myself.  
Dammit, he's right.  
Still, I want to finish this quickly. The only person who isn't weaker because of the time is Nightmare. This time travel is bullshit! I stop for a quick breather before resuming the trek.  
"Finally made it."  
Honno-ji; Nobunaga's home before the attack. It looked grandiose from the outside. I entered the gardens but stopped as I heard chatter.  
"You said they were going to be here! Where is the Swordsman, the Thief, and Maiko!?"  
"I swear I heard them talking about coming here to Honno-ji!"  
Lyla, that relentless whore!  
Did she send more men to Honno-ji? I peeked to see that these were not the same guys' Nene and I interrogated yesterday. Before I can think of a course of action, I felt a hand tap my shoulder.  
I got to work on checking my back.  
Turning, I see a stunning woman who held a respectful and virtuous aura about her, an Ornate Staff in hand with a white hood covering her face.  
"I take it you're one of the figures they are looking for?"  
I slowly nod.  
"How fortuitous that I found you first. You must be Xan-Kun. I've heard of you and your partner Kin's quest."  
"How do you-"  
She softly placed a finger on top of my lips. "Little escapes my knowledge in Japan. Your group are nice folk and are on a just quest. But those mercenaries are starting to be a problem, are they not?"  
"They are. I take it that you are a friend then?"  
She giggled. "But of course. I'm Aya. It is nice to meet you. Would you like me to help?"  
"The elder sister of Kenshin Uesugi? The God of War? What are you doing in the Kansai region?"  
"I will happily answer all questions you have for me after we deal with those cretins. After you."  
She's certainly an odd one, but best not to get on her bad side.  
I unsheathed one of my swords as I start inching closer to them. As Aya and I closed in on our targets, we heard more of what they were saying.  
"Why is Boss so interested in this group anyway? Although they killed some of the others, they don't seem so special."  
"From what I overheard, that Xan guy has apparently seen Soul Edge in person, and Lyla wants him to tell her everything he knows."  
"But those are rumors. They can't be true. Anyone who encounters Soul Edge in person never survived the encounter."  
"Boss thinks that he and his friend Kin are exceptions to the rule. Think about it. Those two show up, run down some of the guys. That same night, Xan completely wipes out the Moon Pheasants by himself. You can't be normal to be able to do something like that."  
I looked back at Aya. "I await your command Xan," she stated calmly.  
"You take the one on the right."  
"Understood."  
"On my count. One, two, three."  
On three, I rushed in and stabbed the mercenary in the throat, all the while taking him down. I then pierced his heart to be safe before realizing the other mercenary was about to attack me. But he suddenly then fell over, Aya attacking him from behind. I stood back at up and see a burn mark on his back.  
What the-  
"Please, Xan-Kun. You should be used to seeing certain oddities after your run-ins with the Soul Swords."  
"How do you know about that?"  
"You're not the only one familiar with the supernatural. Being a Buddhist allows me limited access to the Astral Chaos. I'm well aware of what you and your friends have done in the future." She then bowed. "What brings you to Honnouji?"  
"I have to purify the place, and if you deal with the supernatural, you're able to feel the malice because of the battle that took place here," I responded.  
Aya placed a hand on her chin, contemplating my response. "It makes sense. Despite Nobunaga and Nohime's escape, many people perished in the battle. I must report to Kenshin. Your insight has helped me understand the situation, Xan-Kun. Best of luck."  
I bowed respectfully. "Until next time, Aya-sama."  
"You're a nice young man. But you don't need to be so formal with me. Until next time."  
She left Honnouji, her presence no longer detected by me. Immediately following Aya's departure, Kin and Xianghua both appeared and gazed at the dead bodies as I put my sword away.  
"Who are they?"  
"More of Lyla's men. They're looking for us because she thinks we've seen Soul Edge. She wants our information on the sword."  
"I mean, we have, though. But if that's what she wants," Kin pointed to the corpses. "Then, she knows better than to send fodder like them."  
"It's getting late. I'm going to purify the place then go to bed."  
"Maybe there will be beds since this place is a home," Xianghua stated happily.  
"Depends. We'll look around while you do your thing."  
"Uh, huh. Go be tourists while I actually do my job."  
"You know that's not we meant. Look, we argue, but we're still friends, and I know how important this is. However, I was serious when I said to pace yourself. Your the only one who knows how to use the Holy Stone Fragment, so we need you healthy."  
"I know... It's just been hard, y'know?"  
Kin placed a hand on my shoulder. "We both gave a lot up to do this and can relax later. Come on, Xianghua. We gotta look for a place to lay our heads."  
"Ok!"  
The pair went inside the actual palace. Having them around will be... interesting.  
At any rate, I go to what I thought was the most centermost part of the palace and take my Holy Stone fragment out of my coat pocket. It levitated out of my hand and glowed violently once again. A burst of light covered Honnouji in white before dissipating as the stone starts to fall. I catch and place it back in my coat pocket.  
"Hopefully, I'll get used to that light. Or else I might go blind," Kin said as he exited the palace.  
"We can invest in glasses, right?" I asked.  
"I'm sure we can spare a couple of pairs."  
He patted my shoulder. "We found some beds for us to sleep in. Let's get some shut-eye, eh?"  
Something stopped him. "You see that?"  
Sure enough, Sakura Blossom petals were falling. But that was impossible. There were no Sakura Blossoms in Honnouji.  
"Are those Sakura Blossom petals?"  
"There aren't any Cherry Blossoms here in the city. You think it's an illusion from Soul Edge?"  
"Too pleasant. Xianghua is already asleep, so let's investigate." Kin said.  
We started wandering around the palace until we unknowingly got lost. "Jeez, the place is larger than the Jyurakudai Villa!"  
"At this point, I'll be sleeping on the floor rather than with Xianghua."  
"What?" I eyed him. "Kin, you're a married man."  
"Taki doesn't even know I exist, and the chances of running into her again are slim to none."  
"You apparently don't know your wife, Kin. She's a relentless ninja, and when Taki wants to find something, she does. No ifs, ands, or buts."  
"You may be right, but I plan on taking full advantage of this opportunity until she does."  
"Can you stop worrying about sleeping with Xianghua for three minutes? We gotta find the source of these Sakura Blossoms."  
"Xan, we're lost. It's not like the source is just going to reveal themselves." Kin said nonchalantly.  
"On the contrary, Thief, she will reveal herself."  
We whirled around to see another woman wearing a white priestess outfit while holding an umbrella.  
I recognized her instantly. "You're Izumo no Okuni. I saw one of your shows in Kyoto. You're an excellent dancer."  
She chuckled lightly and bowed. "Oh, Okini (Thank you)! I would've never imagined a swordsman would be interested in my shows!"  
"It's a nice way to pay homage. Kabuki dances are always nice to spectate even to someone as stoic as myself. But pray tell, Okuni-san. What are you doing here of all places? Aren't there better places to practice your dances?"  
First Aya and now Izumo no Okuni. Today is taking an odd turn.  
"The place was abandoned, so I saw no reason to practice out here." She pointed to the bodies of Lyla's mercenaries. "But those corpses will prove my claim false."  
"Had it been any other day, you'd be correct, Okuni-san. But these mercenaries have been after us for days. They heard that we would be coming here, so their boss Lyla sent them ahead of us. They want us alive because we have information that she covets."  
"From looking at you, I'd say her men had no chance," Okuni said before feeling up on my arm, her eyes bulging slightly. "You're quite strong, Swordsman. No doubt your significant other feels well protected."  
I didn't think much about my response that followed her observation. "I'm not seeing anyone right now."  
It was then that Okuni embraced me. I looked at Kin, and being the joker he is, gave me a thumbs up.  
"Then I suppose I'm yours from now on since no one is smart enough to see a good man with their own eyes."  
"Well. I'm here, Okuni-Kun," Kin interjected.  
Okuni shooed him away with her free hand. "I'm not into thieves, even chivalrous ones."  
"Fine, I'll back off. We should head to bed soon, Xan, and look at our next stop before leaving Honnouji. I'm turning myself in. G'night to both of you. And try not to have too much fun!" he said with a shit-eating grin while laughing heartily.  
"I'm going to kick his ass later," I mumbled to myself.  
"What was that?"  
"Nothing, just thinking aloud. On that note, are you sure you want to thrust yourself into a relationship with a man you barely know?"  
"There is only one Xan who utterly exterminated the Moon Pheasants. He wore an outfit exactly like yours and carried an O-Katana like yours," she said while touching the weapon's hilt. She then palmed my face. "Finally, he had a scar on his cheek."  
Had this been me from this timeline, I would be fanboying because I had the biggest crush on Okuni. However, she was a Kabuki Dancer and was three years older than me. The two of us meeting would be a pipe dream. Okuni is 19 at this time, which now makes me older than her. She knows of me and is clearly interested.  
Alas, she's not the only one who held feelings for me.  
Okuni could easily sense my unease as she caressed my face. "I can see your doubts. Are you not interested, handsome?"  
I quickly shook my head. "No, of course not. I've always had a large crush on you. But-"  
"But what? We may be strangers, but if I were to bypass this opportunity, some no-name would take you from me. There's clearly a connection to be had between us." Her tone carried a sad vibe. "What's holding you back from me?"  
"I'm involved with someone else, and while that is the case, someone else is interested in her. I can't compete as they are extremely close. I fear she may be after me for only lustful reasons."  
"That's her mistake. Let her have her partner. She was a fool to not see the deeper picture. You and even your friend are irreplaceable," Okuni said in determination as the moonlight reflected on her beautiful features. "I can feel it."  
"How do I know your feelings are genuine and not an act like your performances?" I voiced my doubts.  
With a sincere smile, Okuni erased the remaining distance between us. "Will this suffice as proof?"  
Our lips came together in a soft, tender kiss. I felt Okuni coming on to me as she deepened the kiss. I had to return the favor as it felt too nice not to do so.  
She gently broke away and looked at me with a tender stare, my eyes hazing over. "So?"  
"Feelings proved."  
She laughed happily. "I'm happy you feel that way. Take me to bed, lover."  
I intertwined our hands together. "Ok, Okuni."  
Before we reached a bed, she started to speak again. "And if we run into that woman, I'll prove my worth to you in front of her. Despite my appearance, I can fight.."  
"So can she."  
"Even better. Just you wait, dearest. I'll prove it."  
We make it to a bed. Across from it are Kin and Xianghua. "Are they-"  
"I have no clue. You can ask them in the morning."  
"That's fine. I just want to be with you is all."  
I took off my coat and shoes before heading under the covers. Okuni came shortly after that and snuggled underneath my neck.  
"Is there anything you want to do while we're here?" I asked, somewhat afraid of her possible answers.  
"Laying here with you is just fine." Okuni kissed my cheek. "Goodnight, Xan."  
"Goodnight, Okuni. Sweet dreams."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that wraps up this chapter.  
> Anyway, what did you guys think? Did you guys like it? Did you not? While you're at it, check my profile page and give my other stories a read.  
> Originally, Okuni was thrown in as a potential suitor as this was originally a harem but now, Xan is going to be conflicted. He obviously prefers Setsuka, but with Kokonoe around and his knowledge of her loving him he’s trying to back off. And as for Kin, he is getting awfully close with Xianghua despite being a married man.   
> And what did Kokonoe want from Setsuka? We’ll see later.  
> Anyway, I'll see you all soon.


End file.
